Following days of political manoeuvring and backroom politics, Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) officially declared a political alliance to compete in the upcoming municipal corporation elections in Mumbai and Nashik on Wednesday. Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray announced it together, making an essential reunion of the long-lost Thackeray cousins.
Alliance Formed on the basis of Marathi Manoos Pitch
The cousins, addressing the media in Mumbai, said that the alliance would use the civic polls as a battle on the issue of Marathi pride, calling on people of Marathi-speaking speaking to come together. Uddhav Thackeray gave an emotional plea that it was the community that would be weakened because of the political divide. United we stand, divided we fall, thus cry, Mumbaikars, to be united.
Raj Thackeray shared this feeling and said that the interest of Maharashtra was bigger than the individual differences. He announced that the new mayor of Mumbai would be a Marathi manoos of either Shiv Sena (UBT) or MNS and this strengthened the cultural and linguistic branding of the alliance.
Seat Sharing Formula Remained Secret
Although they agreed on the alliance, the two leaders refused to reveal the seat-sharing in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic bodies. According to Raj Thackeray, the move was not cause-and-effect, and there were fears of political poaching and faction.
According to sources on either side, there are still negotiations going on, especially in Mumbai, where revisions might be necessary even in seats with incumbent councillors. The leaders were ready to admit that some concessions would be required to provide the cooperation between the two sides on a cadres level.
Effects on Alignments of opposition
The move seems to be a change in the Opposition dynamics in Maharashtra. Uddhav Thackeray indicated that other parties have left the larger Opposition alliance, indicating the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). He further told that talks are still in progress with the Sharad Pawar group to share seats in limited numbers, and that the Congress might not feature in the civic poll set-up any more.
Though it was a reunion that had a lot of emotional overtones for the Marathi voters, a senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader expressed that it would have an electoral momentum in the urban centres, especially Mumbai.
Mahayuti Attacks, Congress Welcomes
The Congress celebrated the reunion of the cousins with state leaders, terming it a good family reconciliation but again warned their opposition against trying to be aligned with the MNS. In the meantime, the ruling Mahayuti alliance leaders were quick to condemn the move.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis rejected the alliance as political coercion, saying that both parties had betrayed Mumbai’s interests in the past. He claimed that the coalition depended on emotional campaigning before elections and its influence on the electorate.
Stakes High Civic Elections
This Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS coalition should redefine the battle over power in the BMC, the richest municipal corporation in India, in a period that urban governance, infrastructure and identity politics are major electoral concerns. Having Mumbai and Nashik at the centre stage, both sides are relying on the united Marathi vote to take down the BJP and its allies.
The political rejoining of Thackeray cousins has already caused political shivers throughout Maharashtra politics. Although the finer details of the alliance remain to be finalised, the political rejoining of the cousins has already created an atmosphere of anxiously awaited civic battle in the months to come.
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