BMC elections: Thackeray cousins likely to announce alliance today

Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS president Raj Thackeray.

The formal announcement of alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena for the upcoming civic elections in Mumbai is likely to happen later today. Multiple news reports suggest that Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray have managed to arrive at consensus over various issues regarding the seat-sharing arrangement. Elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra are slated to take place on January 15.

Reports also suggest that the announcement was fast tracked looking at the outcome of local body elections in Maharashtra last week – in which the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance dominated, winning 207 of 288 posts -- underscoring the size of the challenge faced by the opposition. Outlining the seat-sharing numbers, India Today flashed that MNS will fight on 60-70 seats, whereas Shiv Sena (UBT) will fight on 150+ seats.

Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena UBT won just nine seats while Eknath Shinde's BJP-allied Shiv Sena won 53, delivering a second consecutive defeat to the former and proving it has pivoted the undivided Sena vote base – at the grassroots level – towards the BJP's Hindutva model.

On Monday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut met MNS president Raj Thackeray, while MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar visited Matoshri, the residence of Uddhav Thackeray, for talks. Both are considered trusted aides of their respective party chiefs.

On Friday, MNS leader Nitin Sardesai had said that the alliance talks between the two parties, led by cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, were in final stages, and a formal announcement will be made in the next few days.

Widely regarded as the 'first family' in Mumbai political circles, cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, driven apart by a 20-year family feud, reunited in June over the Marathi vs Hindi language row.