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For several days, talks had been underway between the Shiv Sena (Thackeray faction) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)
Udhav Thackeray (left) and Raj Thackeray (right) announce their alliance.
Twenty years after a bitter Raj Thackeray quit the undivided Shiv Sena over differences with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray and formed the MNS, the brothers on Wednesday announced their alliance for the upcoming municipal elections on January 15.
Flanked by their families, as the leaders made their way to the stage, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut called it as “auspicious beginning”. “This is an auspicious beginning to ensure the saffron flag keeps unfolding on BMC and other municipal corporations. And this can only be done by Thackeray brothers,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, Uddhav Thackeray said they were on the stage “as Thackeray brothers”. “Our grandfather Prabodhankar Thackeray was the one who led the fight for Maharashtra. After we got Mumbai in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena Pramukh formed the party. It will be 60 years since the formation of the Shiv Sena.”
The former chief minister also accused some people of trying to “destroy Mumbai”. “If we keep fighting, it will be an insult to Hutatma. No one can ever take Mumbai away from Marathi Manus. BJP then said ‘Batenge toh Katenge’. Now, I am calling the Marathi Manus—If they falter now, then they will be divided.”
Taking over from his brother, Raj Thackeray, in a message of solidarity, said “Maharashtra is bigger than any misunderstanding or fight”. “That’s where we have begun. We are not here to convey who will fight how many seats.” Clarifying that the alliance would be for Nashik too, Raj Thackeray said: “We will announce for other corporations after our meeting today”, but emphasised that “Mumbai’s mayor will be a Maharashtrian and it will be from our party”.
The decision comes after a series of prolonged negotiations over the past several weeks, as both sides worked to iron out a seat-sharing formula for elections to 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
At its core, the tie-up may help reunite a fractured Marathi nationalist space. Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) still retains organisational depth, especially in Mumbai and parts of the Konkan. Though Raj Thackeray’s MNS has limited electoral success, it has a strong emotional and street-level appeal among urban Marathi youth.
Together, they could consolidate Marathi-speaking voters, particularly in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik and parts of the MMR—areas where vote splits between Sena factions and the MNS have helped rivals.
More importantly, the reunion could reclaim the original Sena’s ideological space and undercut the Eknath Shinde faction’s claim to being the “true” inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s legacy. This may also not be good news for the BJP as it will have to fight harder for Marathi pride voters.
At the local level, the coming together of the brothers may prevent vote division in key wards and help the parties re-emerge as the dominant force in civic politics, making municipal polls far more competitive and unpredictable.
December 24, 2025, 12:31 IST
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