‘Tea, yes. Alliance, never’: Fadnavis shuts door on Uddhav-MVA as Maharashtra civic polls go to vote

According to him, the campaign received an overwhelming public response, driven by the work showcased before voters.

• Fadnavis says Mahayuti will not ally with MVA or Uddhav Thackeray in future
• Mahayuti confident of winning majority in 26 of 29 municipal corporations
• BMC polls set for January 15, counting on January 16 across 227 wards

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday made it clear that the BJP-led Mahayuti will not seek any future political alignment with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) or Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, asserting that his alliance is fully capable of winning elections on its own.

"We are never going to need the MVA or Uddhav in the future. We can never form an alliance with them. We are winning this election. Yes, it's true they are not our 'enemies', we can have tea with them in the future, but there will be no alliance," he asserted.

Speaking to ANI, Fadnavis said that the Mahayuti entered the civic election campaign in a "serious and professional" manner from the very first day. The Chief Minister highlighted that the BJP-led alliance fielded candidates from ordinary backgrounds, including vegetable vendors, middle-class individuals, advocates, and even people without their own homes. According to him, the campaign received an overwhelming public response, driven by the work showcased before voters.

Expressing confidence in the outcome, Fadnavis said the Mahayuti will secure a clear majority and have its mayors in 26 of the 29 municipal corporations going to polls.

He further criticised Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Uddhav Thackeray for deliberately attempting to fuel the "Marathi vs Non-Marathi" narrative during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, asserting that such divisive politics stands in sharp contrast to his government's development-focused approach. "Marathi is my language. There must be development for the Marathi language," he told ANI.

Fadnavis also addressed the Hindutva debate, stating that Hindutva is the BJP's "soul" and has never been used merely as an electoral slogan. He criticised rivals for distancing themselves from Hindutva for vote-bank politics and said they must answer to the people for misleading Marathi asmita (identity).

The remarks come as Maharashtra heads into civic polls across 29 municipal corporations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Voting for the BMC election 2026 will be held on January 15 from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm across 227 wards, with counting scheduled for January 16.