Thackeray Cousins to Jointly Contest 6 Municipal Corporation Elections
Mr. Raut said that the formal announcement about the alliance is expected to be made this week
Mumbai: With the announcement of municipal elections in Maharashtra, the Thackeray cousins have swung into action with the senior Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut saying the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Raj Thackeray’s MNS will contest elections together in the six major municipal corporations including Mumbai. The formal announcement will be made this week, said Raut.
“The two parties will come together for civic polls in major cities like Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, Mira-Bhayander, Pune and Nashik. However, decision on the tie-up in other civic bodies will be taken by the local units,” said the Rajya Sabha MP.
Mr. Raut said that the formal announcement about the alliance is expected to be made this week. “The process has now begun. Some people are upset with Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray coming together. There is no problem in announcing the alliance (between Shiv Sena-UBT and MNS) in the coming week. Both the brothers will be seen on stage for the announcement,” he added.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also met the MNS president and held talks with him on seat sharing. After their meeting, MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said meetings between the two parties will continue, but did not elaborate further. “As of now, Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS are coming together,” Mr. Nandgaonkar said.
Mr. Raut has appealed to the Congress leadership to consider contesting the polls under the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), alongside the MNS.
“I don't see Congress coming together at this point in time. They should have been with us. I spoke to the party high command, but they have left this matter to be decided at the local level. Our appeal to the local unit of the Congress is not to do anything that will help the BJP,” he said.
Terming the Maharashtra civic elections as the “second battle for a united Maharashtra”, Mr. Raut said, “This election is not just about 29 municipal corporations, but about saving Mumbai. 106 martyrs sacrificed their lives so that Mumbai would remain in Maharashtra. Now, we will not let Mumbai fall into (union home minister) Amit Shah’s hands.
Voting for the 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the BMC, will be held on January 15 while the counting of votes will take place on January 16, 2026.