The much-hyped alliance of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena was restricted to 71 seats. Uddhav said: “The BJP tried every means to finish off the Shiv Sena but failed. “Our fight is for the Marathi people, the Marathi language, Marathi identity, and for a prosperous Maharashtra. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Mumbai mayor would be from the alliance and ruled out any differences. “If Eknath Shinde had not become a traitor to the Shiv Sena, the BJP would never have got a mayor in Mumbai.

Source: The Telegraph January 18, 2026 04:26 UTC