Thackeray cousins reunite for BMC elections after 20 years
What's the story
The recent local body election results in Maharashtra have intensified the political rivalry between Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena UBT and Eknath Shinde's BJP-allied Shiv Sena despite the lopsided outcome. Whereas the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance won 207 of the 288 seats, with the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) winning 53 seats, the Shiv Sena (UBT) could manage only nine. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Sharad Pawar, secured seven seats while his nephew Ajit Pawar's faction won 37.
Political strategy
Thackeray brothers' alliance ahead of BMC elections
In a bid to reclaim lost ground, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have reportedly reached a seat-share agreement for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, according to a report by NDTV that cited sources familiar with the matter. The Uddhav-led Shiv Sena will contest 157 out of 227 seats, while Raj's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will contest 70 seats. This would be the first time in two decades that the Thackeray cousins would be contesting as allies instead of rivals.
Political sidelining
NCP sidelined in Thackeray brothers' alliance
However, the rumored seat-share deal does not leave any seats for Sharad Pawar's NCP. Instead, they would get 15 seats from Uddhav's share. This could be a turning point for Maharashtra politics, as another defeat could hand over control of their legacies to Shinde and Ajit, respectively. The Congress party is also prominently missing from this arrangement, highlighting the fragmentation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance after the Thackeray brothers' reunion.
Political dismissal
Congress dismissed as 'irrelevant' by Shiv Sena spokesperson
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey dismissed the Congress as "irrelevant" in Mumbai politics, citing their consistent losses in BMC polls over three decades. This comes after Congress leader Sachin Sawant announced that they would contest independently due to an "ideological divide." He said, "We are going to fight against any party that creates conflict in the name of religion, caste, region, or language."