Shiv Sena (UBT) Breaks from MVA to Contest Maharashtra Local Polls Independently

Uddhav Thackeray's party cites grassroots growth and alliance challenges in its decision to go solo in municipal elections.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut announced the party will contest local body elections independently, stepping away from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
The decision aims to strengthen the party’s grassroots base and provide more opportunities for its workers, which leaders say were limited in an alliance structure.
Raut clarified that the INDIA bloc and MVA alliances were formed for Lok Sabha and assembly elections, not local polls, and denied calling for their dissolution.
Tensions within the MVA have grown since its defeat in the November 2024 assembly elections, with internal blame games over poor coordination and seat-sharing delays.
Congress and NCP (SP) downplayed the move, noting it is common for parties to contest local elections independently, but concerns linger over the alliance's future.