Maharashtra CM Predicts Limited Impact of Uddhav-Raj Alliance on Mumbai Elections

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stated that the alliance between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will have minimal impact on the upcoming municipal elections in Mumbai. He predicts that Raj Thackeray will face significant losses while Uddhav may benefit. With elections set for January 15, Fadnavis is confident that the ruling BJP coalition will secure a majority in the municipal corporations. He emphasizes the importance of development in the campaign and assures that the people of Mumbai trust the coalition based on past achievements. Read on for more insights into the election dynamics.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jan 14, 2026, 08:44 IST

Limited Impact of Uddhav and Raj's Alliance

On Tuesday, Maharashtra's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed that the alliance between cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray will not significantly influence the upcoming municipal elections in Mumbai. He emphasized that Raj Thackeray stands to lose the most from this partnership.

Fadnavis also mentioned that out of the 29 municipal corporations in the state, the ruling coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to secure the mayoral positions in 27 of them. Voting for the municipal elections is scheduled for January 15.

During a media interaction at his official residence 'Varsha' in South Mumbai, the Chief Minister described the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections as a battle for 'change and development.' The campaign for the municipal elections concluded on Tuesday.

In the past fortnight, Fadnavis participated in 37 election rallies and roadshows. After nearly two decades of political estrangement, Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) formed an alliance ahead of the BMC elections last month.

Fadnavis stated, 'This election is about change and development. The atmosphere in Mumbai has already shifted. The alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS will not make a significant difference.' He pointed out that while Uddhav Thackeray may benefit from the alliance, Raj Thackeray is likely to suffer the most.

He accused the Thackeray brothers of neglecting development issues in their campaign. Fadnavis remarked, 'They neither campaigned effectively nor put their reputation on the line. There were only a few rallies outside Mumbai for show.'

When asked if the election seems one-sided, the Chief Minister replied, 'No election is ever one-sided. There are always challenges, but the opposition is not showing up at the expected level.'

He added, 'In Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, where the BJP and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar are contesting separately, the BJP will comfortably secure a majority. We expect a strong majority in Mumbai and improved performance in Nashik as well.' Fadnavis concluded by assuring that the people of Mumbai trust the ruling coalition for development based on the work done so far.