Overview
- Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s MNS formally announced an alliance for Mumbai’s civic elections after nearly two decades apart.
- Raj Thackeray declared that Mumbai will have a Marathi mayor from the alliance, making Marathi identity the campaign’s central theme.
- Uddhav Thackeray said seat‑sharing for Mumbai, Nashik and other civic bodies is finalised, though ward‑level allocations were not released.
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde dismissed the reunion as opportunistic and predicted little electoral impact.
- Analysts highlight organisational and resource deficits for the Thackeray bloc but note potential gains in wards where past MNS votes exceeded winning margins; Congress plans to contest the BMC separately.