Sanjay Raut, leader of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena UBT, has hinted that a highly anticipated alliance with Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) may be officially announced on Wednesday.
The speculation follows a social media post on X by Raut on Tuesday featuring an image of the two cousins with the caption “tomorrow at 12 pm”.
This potential partnership comes ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled for 15 January, following months of behind-the-scenes negotiations.
The BMC election results will be declared the following day.
Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance won’t impact BMC poll outcome: BJP
Meanwhile, the BJP has been quick to dismiss the potential partnership.
BJP’s Mumbai city unit president Ameet Satam stated on Tuesday that any tie-up between the two cousins would have “no impact” on the election results.
Satam expressed confidence that voters remain committed to the BJP-led Mahayuti.
Speaking to a regional news channel, Satam said: “There will be no impact on the outcome of the BMC elections, even if the Thackeray cousins come together and contest the polls.”
“I believe Mumbaikars have made up their mind to support the BJP-led Mahayuti, and the mayor will be elected from our corporators only,” Satam added.
Congress woos North Indian voters with seven-point BMC manifesto
Ahead of the 15 January civic polls, the Mumbai Congress on Sunday released a targeted manifesto aimed at the city’s North Indian community. The seven-point document, unveiled by Mumbai Congress President Varsha Gaikwad, focuses heavily on cultural dignity and livelihood protections.
The key promises include construction of permanent immersion ponds and ghats at beaches, along with changing rooms and lifeguard facilities for women; a transparent policy featuring “smart vending zones” and digital licences for eligible vendors; rest centres and free health check-ups for auto and taxi drivers; a transparent licensing policy for stables with subsidized water and affordable community halls for weddings and cultural events.
During the manifesto launch, Gaikwad criticised the BJP, claiming that while the Congress has historically provided North Indians with political representation as MPs and MLAs, the BJP has failed to address their fundamental issues.
Nomination process for BMC polls begins
The race for control of Asia’s wealthiest civic body officially began on Tuesday as the nomination process for the BMC elections opened. While administrative machinery hummed into gear, Mumbai’s political landscape remains in flux with shifting alliances, ambitious manifestos, and sharp partisan exchanges.
The BMC, which boasts a massive ₹74,000 crore budget for 2025-26, is the ultimate prize in Maharashtra politics.
BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani met with party representatives on Tuesday to brief them on the 23 election offices established to manage the process.
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