Thackery cousins came together to contest municipal corporation polls

After months of back-door negotiations between the two Thackeray cousins, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray-headed Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will formally announce a seat-sharing alliance for the forthcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other municipal corporations across the State, on Wednesday.

Taking to “X”, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut posted a photograph of MNS president Raj Thackeray greeting his elder cousin and Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and wrote: “Tomorrow 12 noon, Hotel Blue Sea, Worli”.

More than 20 years after he rebelled against the leadership of his elder cousin and quit the united Shiv Sena and founded Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) three months later on March 9, 2006, Raj will share a platform with the Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav to announce electoral tie-up for the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations and announce electoral pact for the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations.

Incidentally, both the Thackeray cousins have come together to contest the elections jointly in the run-up to the birth centenary of the founder of Shiv Sena, late Balasaheb Thackeray, which falls on January 26, 2026, more than a week of the crucial BMC elections.

The voting for the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations will take place on January 15, 2026, while the results will be declared on the following day.

Having ruled the BMC — which is one of the richest municipal corporations in Asia with a budgetary outlay of more than Rs 59,954.75 crore (2024-25) — for more than 25 years, the Shiv Sena — along with the MNS, is one of the major political formations to be contesting the Mumbai civic body polls.

All parties, including the BJP-led MahaYuti, Shiv Sena (UBT)-led Opposition front and the Congress, have a major stake in the BMC polls. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP and deputy chief minister of the Shiv Sena have made it a prestige issue to capture the BMC, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) has tied up with the MNS to retain its hold over the Shiv Sena.

It may be recalled that the BMC polls held in 2017 had thrown up a hung house. The Shiv Sena had emerged as the single largest party with 84 seats in the 227-member BMC, followed by BJP-82, Congress-31, NCP-9, MNS-7 and others — 14.

During the first two and a half years in power, the Shiv Sena increased its strength to 94, by inducting, among others, seven corporators from the Raj Thackeray-led NCP.

The other municipal corporations that the Shiv Sena (UBT) — MNS alliance will contest will include Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Auran-gabad) and Nagpur.

While the ruling BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP (Ajit Pawar) will be contesting the municipal corporation polls as an alliance, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS will be the major Opposition formation. On its part, the Congress has decided to go it alone in the BMC polls.

While it is not yet clear whether the NCP (Sharad Pawar) will be aligning with the Shiv Sena (UBT)-led alliance or will have a tie-up with the Congress.

There is no clarity yet as to how other smaller Opposition parties like Samajwadi Party, Peasant and Workers’ Party, leftist parties and parties with Ambedkar ideology will contest the municipal corporation polls.