3M impact: Thackeray brothers come together after 20 years

In a significant political reunion that had all the trappings of emotion and symbolism, the Thackeray cousins — Uddhav and Raj — on Wednesday announced a formal alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the forthcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and 28 other civic bodies across Maharashtra.

Seeking to project the coming together of two parties for the “cause of Mumbai, Marathis and Maharashtra (3M),” Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray signalled a dramatic reboot in State politics after 20 years.

“We have come together to stay together,” Uddhav said, as he joined his once-estranged cousin Raj to announce an electoral tie-up to recapture the BMC, the country’s richest municipal corporation that it had ruled for more than 25 years in the past.

On his part, the MNS said, “Maharashtra is more important than any dispute, difference.”

However, in what came as an anti-climax, Uddhav and Raj did not announce the details of seat-sharing between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS for the BMC polls. The two parties, informed sources, said that they were still finalising the seat-adjustments for the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS are contesting the civic body polls in alliance with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. A formal announcement about the number of seats to be contested by the two major constituents — the parties led by the Uddhav Sena and Raj-led MNS — and the NCP (Sharad Pawar) in the coming days.

In an effort to link the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement (1956-1960) during which the status of Mumbai was “threatened” with the current political situation where the ruling BJP is once again attempting to take out Mumbai from Maharashtra, Uddhav and Raj called for a similar action to defeat the machinations of the saffron party that is ruling the country.  

“More than six decades after that historic agitation, fresh attempts are being made to weaken Maharashtra by weaning away Mumbai. We (cousins) have had many internal feuds. However, Maharashtra is bigger than our petty differences,” Uddhav said.

Maintaining that “both the sides (Sena-UBT and MNS) have decided to stand together and remain united”, Uddhav debunked the BJP’s slogan — ‘Batenge to Katenge’ then.

Reminding all the Marathis and all those who love Maharashtra, Mumbai and Marathi that “Aata chukal, tar sampal” (You are now, you will perish), Uddhav asked the Maharashtrians to stand together to defeat the “diabolical plans” of the ruling BJP-led MahaYuti in the forthcoming municipal corporation and Zilla Parishad polls.

Attempting to boost the morale of the leaders and workers of both the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, Raj said, “Mumbai’s next mayor would be a Marathi, and he would be from our alliance. He exhorted the voters to bless the new family partnership wholeheartedly.”

Aware that his recent political past and ideological stance would face the ‘agni-pariksha’ in coming days, Raj pre-emptively dismissed the BJP’s possible questioning of his Hindutva credentials.

“I get many videos. They should not lecture us on Hindutva. I also have a video clip of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis bidding ‘Allah Hafiz’ and many more,” Raj said, daring the BJP to question his Hindutva credentials.

Earlier in the day, Uddhav — accompanied by wife Rashmi and son Aaditya drove to Raj’s residence Shivtirth in Shivaji Park where the two cousins took blessings of Kundatai, the mother of the MNS chief.

Uddhav’s late father Balasaheb Thackeray and Raj’s father, late Shrikant Thackeray, the legendary music composer, were brothers while Uddhav’s mother late Meenatai and Raj’s mother Kundatai are sisters.

Uddhav (65) and Raj (59) grew up under the guidance of Balasaheb — from whom they learnt first lessons of politics.

Fadnavis mocks reunion

Mumbai: Ridiculing the hype being created over the coming together of Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and MNS, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the two parties were trying to project a picture as if Russia and Ukraine had come together.