Shiv Sena (UBT), MNS to announce tie-up on December 24

Since the fissures emerged in the Maha Vikas Aghadi as Congress blocked Raj's entry in the opposition grouping because of his anti-migrants stance among other issues.

Mumbai: After months of negotiations, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray-headed MNS are set to announce a formal electoral tie-up on December 24 in the run to the Maharashtra' Municipal Corporation elections.

In July, Uddhav and Raj came together on one platform and the Maharashtra government was forced to withdraw two GRs on the three-language formula under the New Education Policy introducing Hindi as a third language in Marathi and English schools from Class 1-5.

Since then, fissures emerged in the Maha Vikas Aghadi as Congress blocked Raj's entry in the opposition grouping because of his anti-migrants stance among other issues. 

The two parties headed by the Thackeray cousins are expected to contest around half a dozen of the 29 municipal corporations of the state, including in the financial capital of Mumbai together.

The BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), which the undivided Shiv Sena had controlled at a stretch for 25 years, is very crucial for the Thackeray cousins. 

The other places are Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, Navi Mumbai, Kalyan-Dombivli, Pune and Nashik where there would be a formal alliance by way of seat-sharing while for the rest of the places, it has asked the local units to take a final call. 

“Tomorrow…12 noon,” Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, who is an aide of Uddhav and friend of Raj, posted on X, with a photo of the Thackeray cousins. 

Speaking to reporters, Raut said that Uddhav, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief and Raj, the MNS president, will formally make the announcement. 

Over the last few days, the leaders of the two parties held back-to-back meetings to work out finer details of the alliance and arrive at a seat-sharing in the corporations. 

Before that, the Thackeray cousins met almost two dozen times including one-on-one and family meetings. 

BJP, Sena unfazed

The BJP and its ally Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, however, were unfazed with the development.  “Nothing changes even if they come together,” said Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam.  

“This is not an alliance but a matter of convenience,” added Shinde aide and state Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat.

“The alliance is for them…Marathi-manoos is just a claim from their side,” he added. 

Congress not part of alliance, NCP (SP) yet to confirm 

The Congress has once again reiterated that it would go alone in the Mumbai civic body polls. “The Congress has clarified that it would go alone in Mumbai and the position remains,” said Sachin Sawant, senior spokesperson of Maharashtra Congress.

The Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP), however, is yet to convey whether they would go with the Congress or with the Thackeray cousins in Mumbai. 

NCP to go alone in Mumbai

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP will go alone in Mumbai civic body polls. The BJP has objected to the decision of the NCP to appoint Nawab Malik to coordinate poll related affairs in Mumbai. 

Malik was arrested on February 23, 2022 by the ED - under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) - in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the activities of Pakistan-based underworld don and the mastermind of 1993 serial blasts Dawood Ibrahim.

He is currently on bail granted by the Supreme Court.