'BJP won by betrayal': Uddhav Thackeray gives first comment after defeat in Maharashtra civic polls, says 'Marathi manoos won't forgive'

Uddhav Thackeray

• Uddhav Thackeray vows to reclaim Mumbai civic power after BMC poll defeat
• Mahayuti alliance led by BJP and Shinde wins control of BMC with 118 seats
• Shiv Sena UBT-MNS retains influence in Mumbai's Marathi heartland with 71 seats

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In his first public address after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray adopted a combative stance, asserting that the BJP had failed to dismantle the party at the grassroots and could not buy loyalty despite using every possible means. Addressing party workers in Mumbai, Thackeray accused the BJP of winning through betrayal and targeting Mumbai’s future.

“BJP wants to mortgage Mumbai, won polls by betrayal; Marathi manoos won’t forgive this sin,” Thackeray said. He also reiterated his party’s ambition to reclaim civic power, adding, “It’s our dream to get Shiv Sena (UBT) mayor elected; if God willing it will happen.”

Drawing a sharp contrast between his party and the BJP, Thackeray said, “There is a clear difference between the BJP and us. Shiv Sena may have been targeted on paper, but no one can erase it from the hearts of the people. Betrayers can be bought through money, pressure, agencies and tactics, but loyalty is never for sale. Our responsibility is now greater than ever.”

Earlier, Shiv Sena UBT posted its first response to the election results on social media, stating, “This battle is not over yet. It will continue just like this until the Marathi person receives the respect they deserve!”

The civic polls saw the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena win six seats. Despite the modest tally, the Sena UBT MNS alliance put up a strong performance in parts of south and central Mumbai, widely regarded as the Marathi heartland, winning most of the roughly 20 wards in these areas. The Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena managed to secure only two seats here.

The Thackeray cousins also won six of the seven seats in Worli, where Sena UBT had rebel candidates contesting in four wards. In contrast, the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which enjoys strong backing from the Gujarati community, swept all seats in Mulund and won seven of the 11 seats in Ghatkopar’s N ward.

After nearly three decades of control over the country’s richest civic body, the Thackeray family has lost the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to the Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP and Eknath Shinde, a former Shiv Sena leader who split from the party three and a half years ago. The Mahayuti crossed the halfway mark of 114 seats in the 227 member House, with the BJP winning 89 seats and the Shinde led Sena securing 29, giving the BJP a narrow edge. The alliance will still require Shinde’s Sena’s support for key decisions.

The Uddhav Raj Thackeray alliance won a total of 71 seats, with 65 secured by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena UBT and six by Raj Thackeray’s MNS, allowing the combine to retain considerable influence in Mumbai’s Marathi heartland. However, the alliance failed to make significant gains in neighbouring urban centres such as Thane and Navi Mumbai.