MUMBAI: The formerly estranged Thackeray cousins, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, recently came together and formally announced a political alliance just ahead of the crucial Municipal Corporation elections across 29 civic bodies in Maharashtra. Among these, the most significant battlegrounds are the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Thane Municipal Corporation, two of the state’s most politically influential urban bodies.
Shiv Sena (UBT) party chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray gave a joint interview to the former’s party mouthpiece, the daily Saamana. In this interview, they said they had come together after 20 years, citing concerns over the current political situation in Maharashtra, the existence of the Marathi manoos, issues related to Mumbai, and the upcoming municipal corporation elections. The interviewers were MP Sanjay Raut and actor-director Mahesh Manjrekar.
The optics of the reunion were powerful, the two cousins, once bitterly divided, now presenting a united front. But the larger question remains: How formidable is this alliance in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and across the rest of the state’s corporations? To assess this, we spoke to political insiders and observers who have had a ringside view of these unfolding developments.
‘Why Did They Separate in the First Place?’: Dr Manisha Kayande
Dr Manisha Kayande, MLC and spokesperson for the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) faction, questions the very foundation of the Thackeray reunion.
“If they were so concerned about the fate of the Marathi manoos, why did they separate in the first place? They split the Marathi vote that time without any concern of the larger good,” she says.
Kayande points out that after pussyfooting for several months since first coming together in July 2025, Uddhav Thackeray finally took the plunge only when his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition partner, the Congress, broke up with his party over the Raj Thackeray plan.
“Despite the facades, there are strong undercurrents of dissatisfaction among the cadres of both Uddhav and Raj’s parties, over the seat distribution issue,” she adds.
Kayande also raised a pointed question about Shiv Sena’s long tenure in Mumbai’s civic administration.
“For the last 25 years, the Shiv Sena has been at the helm of the affairs of the BMC. Did they do justice to the rights of the Marathi manoos in that period?” she asks.
She elaborates: “Why has there been an exodus of Marathi people from Mumbai? Did the Shiv Sena’s elected representatives in the corporation do anything to control rates of housing costs and rents so as to make housing affordable to the common Marathi citizens?”
Contrasting Uddhav Thackeray’s tenure with that of the current government, she highlights Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s initiatives.
“Look at the way Eknath Shinde has given the slogan of ‘Pagri-Free Mumbai’. Shinde has announced an amnesty scheme to regularize approximately 20,000 buildings in Mumbai that lack an Occupation Certificate (OC). Has Uddhav Thackeray’s government done anything like this in the two and a half years that he was chief minister?”
Understanding the Pagdi System
The Pagdi (or Pagri) system in Mumbai is a unique, traditional tenancy model. Under this system, tenants are considered co-owners with significant rights. They pay nominal rent for life and are allowed to sell or sublet their units. Landlords collect a large upfront premium, the pagdi, and a share of sale proceeds.
However, this model has led to extremely low rental income, legal complications, and crumbling heritage buildings that cannot be redeveloped easily. The current government aims to overhaul this system to enable redevelopment and safer housing.
Defections Rock the UBT Camp
Even as the Thackeray cousins project unity, cracks are visible on the ground. A few defections have left party workers shell-shocked.
Shiv Sena (UBT) suffered a significant blow in Kalyan–Dombivli just a week before polling when its candidate Ramchandra Ganpat Mane alias Bhima withdrew from the race and extended unconditional support to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, according to a report in The Times of India.
Mane, who was contesting from Panel No. 30 (D), Dombivli, formally joined Shinde’s Shiv Sena in the presence of MP Shrikant Shinde. He announced support for Shiv Sena candidate Arjun Babu Patil from the same panel.
Earlier, independent candidate Manoj Bama Patil had also withdrawn and backed Arjun Patil. With both rival candidates stepping aside, the contest in Panel 30 (D) effectively became one-sided, making an unopposed victory for Shinde’s Shiv Sena highly likely.
The TOI report further states that at the inauguration of Shiv Sena’s campaign office in Kalyan, Shrikant Shinde expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance would secure a full majority in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation.
Amused, he added that even the opposition now believes Mahayuti will win.
It is also worth noting that at least 20 BJP-led Mahayuti coalition candidates were already declared elected unopposed after rivals withdrew. Now, two more candidates have won unopposed as no nominations were filed against them.
‘They Can’t Feel the People’s Pulse’: Kayande Again
Dr Kayande believes the Thackeray cousins have lost touch with their cadres.
“There is rising resentment over their shifting goalposts and rather cavalier attitude on policies,” she says.
She lists names of disgruntled leaders: “Santosh Dhuri joined the BJP, several MNS people have come to Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Jadhav, Sandeep Deshpande are upset. Mere emotional appeal cannot help them win over the electorate.”
She is categorical in her assessment: “They will get some votes, but certainly not enough to win the governing mandate. Marathi votes will go to the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP as well, not just to Raj and Uddhav alliance. The North Indian and Gujarati vote will stay with the BJP-Shiv Sena as well.”
Political Analyst Prakash Akolkar’s Assessment
Senior journalist and political analyst Prakash Akolkar echoes this sentiment. He does not believe the Thackeray reunion will significantly influence Marathi voters.
“The Marathi vote will also go to Eknath Shinde, so will it go to the BJP. The Marathi voters who identify with their larger Hindu identity may want to overstep the Marathi pride rung and rally behind the call to consolidate the saffron political parties.”
He adds: “So, you see, the already reducing Marathi vote is going to get split further.”
Akolkar, known for his deep understanding of the BMC, the Shiv Sena, the Thackeray family and Maharashtra politics, admits he is puzzled by the lacklustre campaign of the UBT-MNS combine.
“I have no clue why the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS campaign seems to be lacking the essential firepower.”
When asked if it was a lack of funds or cadre, Akolkar turns the question around: “Have you seen any prominent campaigning by the Shiv Sena UBT and MNS combine in any area where you live?”
He notes: “BJP campaign is in full swing and Uddhav Thackeray’s team seems to have either lost hope or motivation. They are campaigning in their old, outdated style by reaching out to shakha pramukhs. Those days of talking through local block leaders are over.”
Akolkar observes that while Congress and BJP have crafted strong campaigns, the UBT–MNS effort lacks drive and gusto.
“It seems like they have already resigned to the fate that they will win some seats but cannot have their mayor in Mumbai.”
Harshal Pradhan’s Marathi Identity Pitch
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Harshal Pradhan has written an opinion piece in the Marathi daily Nav Shakti titled “Mumbai’s Marathi Pride Is Still Alive”. In the article, Pradhan alleges that the Marathi person in Mumbai is being pushed to a secondary position.
His tweet referencing the piece:
— harshalpradhan (@harshalpradhan7) January 7, 2026
Kayande Counters Marathi Asmita Politics
Kayande strongly questions the identity politics of both UBT and MNS.
“Just thrashing people in the name of Marathi asmita or forcing people to speak a particular language is not love for Marathi.”
She asks: “Have they done anything to ensure the Marathi manoos got any jobs in the state government or semi government organisations?”
She continues: “Remembering the Marathi people just before elections is so convenient. What did they do to help Marathi schools from shutting down? They encouraged English medium schools instead.”
Mumbai’s Demographic Reality
According to certain media channels, voters in cosmopolitan Mumbai are a diverse mix, not a homogeneous Marathi bloc. Electoral roll composition:
- Marathi – 38 per cent
- Muslim – 19per cent
- North Indian – 17per cent
- Gujarati-Marwari – 15per cent
- South Indians – 6 per cent
- Christians – 3 per cent
- Sindhis, Bengalis, Parsis – 2 per cent
Congress Reacts
Congress National Spokesperson Atul Londhe expresses displeasure with BJP and allies but defends former MVA partner UBT.
“Every region and its people have uniqueness and identity. A region’s identity and uniqueness does not mean that it belongs to a particular community.”
On Harshal Pradhan’s article, Londhe said, “What Harshal Pradhan’s article says and I understand is that yes, the sentiment of Marathi Mayor for Mumbai is similar to the way a Tamil person is preferred as a mayor of Chennai or a Bengali person as a mayor of Kolkata.”
He adds: “But what we, the Congress Party, wholeheartedly back is that while protecting this regional identity, we must try to accommodate its uniqueness and the cosmopolitan nature of the city.”
Londhe says Congress, in alliance with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, has an inclusive agenda and the ability to field a Mumbaikar mayoral candidate if it wins. He insists they are contesting to win the polls and is confident they will win the mandate.
Who Will Win?
Asked who will win Mumbai and Thane civic polls, Dr Kayande gives her final verdict:
“Of course, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance.”
Calling the Thackeray reunion opportunistic, she adds: “Raj Thackeray may not be a vote catcher but he is a crowdpuller. That too is waning now.”
She continues: “They only make emotional appeals. The regular refrain is to curse PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. They never touch upon developmental issues.”
She accuses them of selective targeting: “They make villains out of Adani and Ambani, and curse the so-called Gujarati lobby. But at the same time, Raj Thackeray himself admits that he has numerous Gujarati friends, and has he not given out work orders to them? People have begun to see through all this now.”
Election Background
Municipal Corporation elections in Maharashtra are held every five years. The last BMC election was held in February 2017. The 2026 polls are being held after a prolonged delay.
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor positions have been vacant since March 2022. Bhushan Gagrani, IAS is currently serving as Municipal Commissioner and Administrator, running BMC under administrative rule.
The delay occurred due to legal battles over ward delimitation, OBC reservation issues, electoral roll disputes, and court interventions.
Most municipal corporations across Maharashtra have also been without elected bodies since their terms expired between 2020 and 2022. Administrators, usually municipal commissioners, have been running these bodies.
Finally, 29 municipal corporations, including BMC and Thane, are set to vote on 15 January 2026. Counting and results will be announced on 16 January 2026.
To Sum It Up
The reunion of the Thackeray cousins has generated political buzz, but ground-level realities suggest limited electoral traction. Defections, cadre dissatisfaction, demographic shifts, and a stronger BJP-Shiv Sena campaign may blunt their impact.
Whether this reunion marks a genuine political revival or a symbolic gesture will become clear once Mumbai casts its vote.
