Mumbai’s political scene heated up on Thursday as Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray dropped hints of a powerful alliance with his cousin Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The goal? Unite Marathi voters and block the BJP-led government’s plans to divide Mumbai ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Speaking at the traditional Dussehra rally in Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park—despite pouring rain—Thackeray rallied thousands of soaked Shiv Sainiks. Speculation swirled about Raj Thackeray joining the stage, but he stayed away. Still, Uddhav urged his supporters to ramp up for the BMC polls, kicking off with Vijayadashami greetings. “Let truth win over lies, and may Maharashtra’s crises finally end,” he said, linking the festival’s victory of good over evil to the state’s troubles.
He revisited his July 5 rally win, where protests forced the MahaYuti government to drop its push for Hindi as a third language in schools from grade one. Thackeray called it a dangerous “imposition” on Marathi culture and vowed to keep fighting. “We stood up for Marathi, and we’ll protect it—no matter what. This is just the trailer; bigger battles ahead,” he declared. With Marathi now holding classical language status, he made it clear his party won’t tolerate any Hindi rollout in Maharashtra.
Thackeray didn’t hold back on the BJP and central government’s neglect of Maharashtra. “The state is in deep crisis, but they’re busy with Bihar elections—handing out Rs 10,000 to women there while ignoring us. That’s pure betrayal,” he fired, pointing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent Bihar aid announcements. He demanded immediate Rs 50,000 per hectare relief for farmers battered by heavy rains and floods, especially in Marathwada. If the government drags its feet, Thackeray warned, Shiv Sena will hit the streets in protest.
He slammed the state administration as lazy and ad-focused, with no real plan to support farmers or fix disaster fallout. Turning to Hindutva, Thackeray defended his version as rooted in Maharashtra’s people—not just “temple bells or banging utensils during COVID.” He claimed founder Bal Thackeray’s true legacy lives in his Shiv Sena, not with those who “split the family” in 2022.
Labeling Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde a “traitor,” Thackeray mocked the rival faction’s grab of the party symbol. “They stole our name, but the real Shiv Sena’s spirit is right here,” he said. He took jabs at the BJP for “spreading mud” to push its lotus symbol, jailing innocents, and cozying up to Pakistan supporters while branding others traitors—like activist Sonam Wangchuck for a Pakistan conference. Why, he asked, wasn’t Modi’s 2015 Pakistan trip for Nawaz Sharif’s birthday called treason?
On national fronts, Thackeray called out “anti-national” voices prioritizing India-Pakistan cricket matches over security, referencing Asia Cup debates. As BMC elections loom, this Shiv Sena-MNS alliance talk could shake up Mumbai’s Marathi vote and challenge BJP dominance in Maharashtra politics.
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