Mumbai, Oct 18 – The feud between Uddhav Thackeray and his brother Raj Thackeray may be cooling as the two political families eye a joint strategy in Maharashtra’s local elections.
When Sanjay Raut, an MP from the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction, spoke to reporters on Saturday, he said the UBT and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will team up for the Thane Municipal Corporation polls. “We will together win a minimum of 75 seats in Thane,” Raut declared, echoing a slogan used by the BJP in the city: “This time we will cross 70.”
Raut’s comment follows a recent joint rally in Thane that brought Shiv Sena and MNS leaders together to highlight local issues. The pact could help both parties rival the BJP‑led Shinde camp, which has been trying to dominate Thane’s civic body.
Uddhav Thackeray’s family and Raj Thackeray’s crew have been meeting more often, generating buzz across Maharashtra. Last Friday, they joined forces to light up Chhatrapati Shivaji Park for Diwali, underscoring a possible marriage of their political agendas.
Thane has long been a Shiv Sena stronghold, but after Shinde’s 2022 rebellion many party members shifted to his side. Shinde now controls much of the local organization. Despite this, Raut’s announcement signals a challenge to the BJP‑Shinde alliance, which has repeatedly indicated it will run separately in Thane’s polls.
Key political figures, including Shinde and BJP minister Ganesh Naik, are holding “janata darbars” to gauge public sentiment as the city heads toward the elections. In the last local vote in 2017, the Shiv Sena won 67 of 131 seats while the BJP captured 23.
A BJP legislator from Thane cautioned that the decision on a possible alliance will come “at an appropriate time.” The next few days will show whether the Uddhav and Raj Thackerays can truly form a united front and stir up the political landscape in Maharashtra.
Source: ianslive
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