The political landscape of Maharashtra witnessed a dramatic shift as once-estranged cousins, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray, announced an alliance ahead of the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. This reunion, however, has been met with immediate and fierce criticism from the ruling Mahayuti alliance, with leaders alleging the move is driven solely by a hunger for power rather than a genuine agenda for Mumbai's development.
Shinde's Sharp Critique: "Only Goal is Power"
Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Eknath Shinde, launched a scathing attack on the Thackeray cousins following the announcement. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday, Shinde dismissed the alliance as a marriage of convenience. He asserted that the duo lacks any concrete program for the city's progress and their sole objective is to assume control.
"They have no development agenda, their goal is only to get power," Shinde stated. In a deeply personal jab, he questioned their capabilities, asking, "Those who cannot even take care of their own children, how will they manage Mumbai or Maharashtra?" Shinde, who led the rebellion against Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022, further accused them of driving Marathi-speaking residents out of Mumbai.
He emphasized that the recent electoral performances have clearly distinguished the "real" Shiv Sena from the "fake" one. "Those who deviated from (late Shiv Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray's ideology have been taught a lesson in the assembly elections last year and the recent municipal council and nagar panchayat polls," Shinde remarked, referencing the Mahayuti alliance's sweeping victory in 207 posts during the recent local body polls held on December 2 and December 20.
Fadnavis Mocks "Hype," Calls it Alliance of Existential Crisis
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also joined the criticism, using a sharp geopolitical analogy to mock the Thackeray reunion. He alleged that the cousins are creating a hype "as if Russia and Ukraine, who have been locked in conflict for nearly four years, ‘have finally come along.’"
Fadnavis claimed that both parties are grappling with an existential crisis. He argued that after repeatedly changing their political stances and losing public trust, they have been forced into an alliance to save their political relevance. The Chief Minister accused them of adopting a policy of appeasement, which he said led to the erosion of their traditional vote bank.
The Alliance and Upcoming BMC Battle
The formal announcement of the alliance was made earlier on Wednesday. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are scheduled to be held on January 15, with the counting of votes set for January 16. These polls are part of a larger electoral exercise covering 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra.
While a formal seat-sharing agreement was not publicly disclosed, reports indicate that Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest on 150 seats, while Raj Thackeray's MNS will field candidates in the remaining 77 seats out of the BMC's total of 227. This pact marks a significant realignment in Mumbai's politics, setting the stage for a high-stakes contest against the incumbent BJP-led Mahayuti coalition.
The opposition's unified and aggressive response underscores the high political stakes of the BMC elections. The ruling alliance is framing the Thackeray cousins' reunion as a desperate, unprincipled grab for power, aiming to contrast it with their own claimed track record of recent electoral wins. As the poll date approaches, this narrative battle is likely to intensify, making the road to Mumbai's civic body a fiercely contested one.
