Updated on: Dec 24, 2025 01:06 pm IST
Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will be contesting the upcoming January 15 civic polls together.
Once estranged, cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have joined hands for the upcoming civic body polls in Mumbai and have vowed to stay “permanently together”. The much-anticipated announcement came at an event in Mumbai on Wednesday, months after their big show of unity back in July as the two brothers shared stage for the first time in nearly two decades.
Uddhav Thackeray’s faction of Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will be contesting the upcoming January 15 civic elections together.
“Maharashtra was waiting for this day for a long time. I declare today that Shiv Sena and MNS are united,” Raj Thackeray said in Marathi, amid cheers from the public. Talking about the alliance, Raj Thackeray said he would always keep the interests of Maharashtra above everything else.
Raj Thackeray also vowed that the mayor of Mumbai would be a Marathi person and one from either his or cousin Uddhav’s party. Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray said: “Marathi people normally don’t trouble others but if some one crosses their path they are not spared.”
While the cousins have announced the alliance, the suspense on seat distribution for elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra continues.
Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is a key part of the upcoming polls. It was earlier reported that there were some disagreements between Raj and Uddhav’s parties over seat allocation in the Dadar, Mahim, Borivali, Vikhroli, Bhandup, and Sewri areas of Mumbai.
Apart from Mumbai, focus would also remain on Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and Nashik in the civic polls in Maharashtra.
