Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray shared a rare moment with his long estranged cousin Raj Thackeray and said, “We have come together to stay together.” The former Maharashtra Chief Minister also said that he and Raj Thackeray together “will capture power in Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra.”
In an iconic moment, the two brothers hugged each other and shared the stage for the first time in two decades during a mega “victory” rally at Worli Dome in Mumbai on Saturday, July 5.
The joint rally and Uddhav Thackeray’s comments is seen as a major political shift in Maharashtra.
The developments came amid speculations whether Uddhav’s Shiv Sena (UBT) join hands with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the wake of upcoming local body polls, including that of the Mumbai civic corporation.
While there has been no official announcement yet, the elections for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are expected to be held around October-November this year.
The political messaging is evident at a time when the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS are witnessing diminishing electoral influence after their dismal performance in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Election. The Shiv Sena (UBT) had won 20 assembly seats of total 288 seats, while the MNS drew a blank.
After facing such electoral turbulence, whispers of reconciliation were growing louder, with insiders suggesting that the once-warring cousins may be inching toward a political handshake.
The speculations of an alliance between the estranged Thackerays fueled after their statements indicated that they could ignore “trivial issues” and join hands nearly two decades after a bitter parting of ways.
While Raj Thackeray said that uniting in the interest of ‘Marathi manoos’ (Marathi-speaking people) was not difficult, Uddhav Thackeray insisted he was ready to put aside trivial fights, provided those working against Maharashtra’s interests were not entertained.
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