Maharashtra civic polls: The political pot in Maharashtra is simmering with speculation over the possibility of an alliance between Uddhav Thackeray and his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray who leads the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, as the civic polls near.
“Whatever people of Maharashtra wish will happen,” Uddhav Thackeray asserted, while responding to reporters’ questions about the possibility of an alliance between the two regional parties.
Phone calls between estranged Thackeray cousins
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), formed by Raj Thackeray after breaking away from the unified Shiv Sena in 2006, and Uddhav’s Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) have both faced electoral turbulence. Now, whispers of reconciliation are growing louder, with insiders suggesting that the once-warring cousins may be inching toward a political handshake.
Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, a close aide of the former CM, suggested there may have been phone calls between the two cousins who share a cold relationship. Raut, however, did not elaborate further.
What fueled the speculations of the alliance
The speculations of an alliance between the estranged Thackeray fueled after their recent statements indicating they could ignore “trivial issues” and join hands nearly two decades after a bitter parting of ways.
While Raj Thackeray has said uniting in the interest of ‘Marathi manoos’ (Marathi-speaking people) was not difficult, Uddhav Thackeray has insisted he was ready to put aside trivial fights, provided those working against Maharashtra’s interests were not entertained.
Maharashtra civic polls
While there has been no official announcement yet, the Maharashtra civic polls are expected to be held around October-November this year.
The term of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), along with major civic bodies in Pune, Nagpur, and Nashik, concluded in March 2022. Several others — including Navi Mumbai, Vasai Virar, Kalyan Dombivli, Kolhapur, and Aurangabad — saw their terms end even earlier, back in 2020. By February 2024, the terms of all 29 civic bodies across Maharashtra had officially lapsed.