The estranged Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, have joined hands in Mumbai, while the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party have bridged the Treasury-Opposition divide to align in Pune. Although these tie-ups are officially being justified as being in the interest of grassroots development, the real aim is widely seen as control over cash-rich municipal corporations. Other than the Thackerays and the Pawars, in nearly a dozen of the 29 corporations going to the polls, parties are pitted against their own state-level allies. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which emerged as the dominant force after the last assembly elections, has pursued the most aggressive strategy. He also added that Tharoor has been working relentlessly for the development of the state beyond the realm of politics.

Source: The Telegraph January 04, 2026 03:20 UTC