BMC elections 2026: Uddhav-Raj Thackeray announce alliance after 20 years

After two decades of rivalry the Thackeray cousins on Wednesday announced a political reunion to take on the BJP for the highstakes January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC elections calling it a historic moment for MaharashtraThe joint press conference took place at a hotel in Worli where Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut stated that the coming together of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray marked a turning point in the statersquos politics ldquoToday is a historic day for Maharashtra The state will stand united with this alliancerdquo Raut saidDrawing parallels with the Samyukta Maharashtra movement Uddhav Thackeray said the reunion was about safeguarding Maharashtra and its people ldquoThis reminds us of the struggle for a united Maharashtra Shiv Sena fought for the Marathi people and this year marks 60 years of the partyrdquo he saidEmphasising unity Uddhav added ldquoRaj and I have come together to stay together We have united to protect the people of Maharashtrardquo He urged Marathispeaking people to remain united warning that division would weaken their collective strengthAddressing the gathering Raj Thackeray said ldquoMaharashtra is greater than any fight or rivalryrdquo before formally announcing the alliance ldquoToday I announce the alliance of Shiv Sena UBT and the Maharashtra Navnirman Senardquo he saidWATCH Mumbai MNS Chief Raj Thackeray announces the alliance of Shiv Sena UBT and MNS ahead of the Municipal Corporation Elections pictwittercomFW9wtGldzrmdash ANI ANI December 24 2025They did not share details of the seat sharing between the two parties There has been no official word yet as to how the 227 municipal seats will be shared between the Shiv Sena UBT and MNS However leaders from both parties say the Sena UBT may contest around 135 wards while the MNS could field candidates in about 80 wards If the Sharad Pawarled NCPSP also joins the alliance it is likely to be offered around 10 to 12 seats or else these seats too will be divided among both parties Elections to the BMC and 28 other municipal corporations will be held on January 15 2026 and counting of votes will be done on the next dayRaj Thackeray said Mumbairsquos next Mayor will be Marathi from SenaMNS allianceThe alliance announcement for the BMC elections was a historic and emotional moment for Maharashtra and Marathi pride The press conference turned into a full show of strength with the entire Thackeray family present including Rashmi Thackeray Aaditya Thackeray Amit Thackeray and Sharmila ThackerayThe Thackeray cousins are likely to extend their tieup for the Thane Kalyan Navi Mumbai Nashik and Pune municipal corporations tooSupporters across Mumbai and Maharashtra celebrated the longawaited political reunion which ended a twodecade rivalry while rare and emotional moments highlighted the significance of this alliance The event symbolised unity Marathi identity and the political consolidation ahead of the 2026 BMC pollsThe Sena UBT and MNS alliance is expected to put up a strong fight against BJP and its allies particularly Shindersquos Shiv Sena faction The ruling Mahayuti is keen to wrest control of the BMC long considered the Thackeraysrsquo strongest bastionRaj quit the Shiv Sena in 2005 saying he was being sidelined particularly by Uddhav and his close aides A year later he formed the MNS reviving the ldquosons of the soilrdquo agenda the very plank on which his uncle Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966The MNS made its electoral debut in the 2007 Mumbai civic poll winning seven seats It performed better in 2012 securing 27 seats its best performance in the city However the partyrsquos strength declined thereafter and in the 2017 election it won only seven seats six of which later shifted to Uddhav Thackerayrsquos camp when the Shiv Sena was still unified