Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray Unite for Upcoming Municipal Elections in Maharashtra
Alliance Formation for Municipal Elections
On Wednesday, the Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray joined forces with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to form an alliance for the upcoming municipal elections in Maharashtra.
Raj Thackeray emphasized that their collaboration was motivated by a commitment to the state, stating that Maharashtra's interests surpass any personal disputes.
Having left the undivided Shiv Sena in 2005, Raj Thackeray established the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena a year later, leading to two decades of rivalry between the parties.
During the announcement, neither leader detailed the number of civic wards their parties would contest in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation under their seat-sharing agreement. It remains uncertain whether this alliance will extend to other municipal bodies.
The municipal elections across 29 cities are scheduled for January 15, with results to be announced the following day. Key cities involved include Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Thane, Navi Mumbai, and Nashik.
The nomination process commenced on Tuesday and will close on December 30.
Meanwhile, the Opposition coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi, which includes the Uddhav Sena, Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party faction led by Sharad Pawar, has yet to reveal its seat-sharing strategy.
Additionally, the ruling Mahayuti coalition, comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, and the Nationalist Congress Party group led by Ajit Pawar, has not disclosed its plans either.
In July, during their first joint rally in nearly two decades, Uddhav Thackeray remarked that he and Raj Thackeray had come together to maintain their unity.
This rally was organized to protest the state government's initiative to introduce Hindi as a third language for students in Marathi and English medium schools from Class 1 to Class 5. Following the government's withdrawal of this proposal, the two parties celebrated the occasion as a victory rally.
Raj Thackeray noted that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had achieved what Balasaheb Thackeray could not: uniting him and Uddhav.