Saturday blockbuster in Mumbai ft Uddhav Thackeray and Raj. What lies ahead

India Today

11 hours ago

The stage was meant to be a "victory rally" over the Maharashtra government's rollback of the three-language policy. However, it turned out to be a Saturday blockbuster in tinseltown as the reunion of the Thackeray cousins after 20 years and Uddhav's hint of a political alliance took centrestage.While Uddhav Thackeray and Raj said the cause of 'Marathi bhasha' and 'Marathi manoos' brought them together, the duo dropped ample hints of a political alliance ahead of the mega civic body elections in Maharashtra. advertisement"Today, after 20 years, Uddhav and I have come together. What Balasaheb could not do, Devendra Fadnavis did it... The work of bringing both of us together," Raj Thackeray, who left the undivided Shiv Sena in 2005 to form his own Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), said.
While Raj was more circumspect, relying more on political irony to attack the BJP, Uddhav was more direct, declaring their joint ambition to reclaim political ground and consolidate the Marathi vote."We have come together to stay together. We will together capture power in the Mumbai civic body and Maharashtra," Uddhav said, drawing loud cheers from the brimming NSCI Dome in Worli.And why would it not? The Thackeray cousins last shared a stage way back in 2005. The event was an emotional moment for the Marathi enthusiasts.WILL UDDHAV AND RAJ JOIN HANDS?However, even if they do decide to come together, a political alliance between the MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) will be easier said than done.The timing of the announcement by Uddhav about a political rapprochement was also crucial. The local body elections, especially the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) poll, are likely to be held later this year.On Saturday, the Thackeray cousins seemed to have played their initial cards right. It was not an event of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, but of Uddhav and Raj.At the event, the duo made a conscious decision not to display any party flags, symbols, or hoardings. It avoided political one-upmanship among the party workers and helped the duo focus on mobilising the 'Marathi Manoos', cutting across caste, community and religion.BATTLE OF SURVIVALAfter the split in the Shiv Sena and last year's drubbing in the Maharashtra Assembly election, Uddhav is well aware that the BMC election will be a do-or-die battle for his faction. The undivided Shiv Sena has controlled the BMC for a quarter of a century. The elections to the richest civic body in the country have been on hold since March 2022.For the MNS too, it is a battle for survival after it failed to bag even one seat in the Assembly elections. An alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and a favourable result in the civic polls will help it regain lost ground.advertisementThe Thackerays know that a win by the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the civic polls would be curtains on their political careers. While Raj is 57 years old, Uddhav is 65.If we see the 2024 Maharashtra election numbers, Uddhav's Shiv Sena won only 20 seats with a 10% vote share. The Shinde faction bagged 57 seats, with a 13% share. In direct contests on 50 seats, the scoreline was 36-14 in favour of Shinde.Raj Thackeray's MNS garnered just 1.6% of the vote share. The BJP has argued that Raj's clout has diminished over the years and an alliance would not help Uddhav much.
The crowd outside the rally venue in Worli (PTI)
TEETHING PROBLEMSMoreover, there are bound to be teething problems. In Mumbai, the Marathi vote bank accounts for anywhere between 30-35%.Both MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) consider Mumbai as their bastion. If they do decide to contest together, the foremost obstacle will be seat sharing because both parties have strongholds in the same areas of Mumbai, be it Worli, Sewri, or Bhandup.In fact, the same seats were contested by both parties in earlier polls. If an alliance is formed at all, they will need to tread carefully.- EndsMust Watch