Overview
- Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray’s MNS have joined forces for Mumbai’s municipal polls with a renewed Marathi-identity pitch.
- Seat-sharing has become a flashpoint as both camps lobby for Marathi-heavy wards such as Dadar, Borivli, Kandivli, Charkop and Bhandup, with no formula announced yet.
- Leaders say the alliance is withholding ward allocations to deter poaching and internal unrest, reflecting concern about managing rival local ambitions.
- Former MNS leader Prakash Mahajan has moved to the Eknath Shinde–led Shiv Sena, a setback for the Thackeray camp ahead of candidate negotiations.
- BJP and the Shinde faction are expected to finalize their own seat-sharing soon, while commentators highlight fragmented Marathi votes, a diverse electorate, and governance-focused voters as hurdles for the cousins’ strategy.