Overview
- Uddhav and Raj Thackeray announced a joint front for the January 15 BMC and other municipal elections after a public show of unity at Balasaheb Thackeray’s memorial.
- Leaders said seat-sharing for Mumbai, Nashik and other bodies is settled but withheld details, with unconfirmed reports suggesting roughly 145–150 BMC seats for Sena (UBT) and 65–70 for MNS.
- The BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Sena downplayed the tie-up as a bid for political survival, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis likening media hype to a Putin–Zelenskyy meeting.
- Congress signaled it will contest Mumbai on its own as talks with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP remain open, setting up a likely triangular contest for control of the cash-rich civic body.
- Analysts and reports note potential gains from consolidating Marathi votes alongside challenges of cadre integration, ward-level coordination and shifting city demographics.