18 June,2025 08:38 PM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev Shivadekar
Uddhav Thackeray heard the views of former corporators on an alliance with the MNS at his residence yesterday. File Pic/Kirti Surve Parade
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray has assured party workers and leaders that they would be taken in confidence before any decision on an alliance with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
On Wednesday, Uddhav called a meeting of former corporators at Matoshree, the Thackeray clan's residence at Bandra. According to party sources, most corporators informed Uddhav about how an alliance with the MNS is favourable at the ground level. "Many of the corporators mentioned that like many people of Maharashtra, even workers from both parties feel a reunion between the Thackeray cousins would significantly change the political situation on the ground," a Sena insider said.
On condition of anonymity, the leader informed that Uddhav patiently listened to the views of party leaders and workers. "At the end of the meeting, Uddhav-saheb informed those present that no decision about an alliance would be taken without taking party workers and leaders into confidence," the Sena leader added.
The BMC elections were due in 2022, but due to a court case, the elections were put on hold and are scheduled later this year.
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For 25 years, Shiv Sena (undivided) and BJP in alliance ruled the BMC. Putting an end to the oldest alliance inked on the Hindutva agenda, the Sena and BJP contested the 2017 civic elections separately. Sena bagged 84 seats of the 227 seats, while BJP won 82 seats, a significant rise in its tally of 51 corporators in 2012.
In 2022, Eknath Shinde engineered the split and quit the party. This would be the first civic election after the split in the Sena. For Uddhav, it is important to retain the power in the BMC, but the task looks difficult as the BJP is in the driving seat and 43 of the 84 elected corporators have quit the party and joined the Eknath Shinde-led Sena camp.
