Estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on Wednesday announced to reunite politically and take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming corporation elections including the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). However, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) will reportedly contest 150 seats, while the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will field candidates in the remaining 77 seats. The reunion has not gone down well with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of which Uddhav Thackeray is a part. The Congress party doesn’t seem to be keen on having Raj Thackeray’s MNS on board the MVA. The Congress party fears that allying with Raj Thackeray would alienate its core support base of minorities and North Indian migrants, given Raj’s history of "sons-of-the-soil" aggression.

Source: Mint December 24, 2025 04:29 UTC