Voting for 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), is scheduled for January 15, with vote counting to occur the following day.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS will join forces for elections in the municipal corporations of Mumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, and Nashik, among others.
The Sena (UBT) is led by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, while his cousin Raj serves as the president of the MNS.
“Discussions for all civic bodies, excluding Mumbai, are concluded. The point of contention lies in the seats we are requesting in Marathi-majority areas. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has yet to agree, which has postponed the seat-sharing arrangements. However, these discussions need to wrap up soon since the nomination filing period begins next week (December 23 to December 30),” an MNS leader stated.
Speaking to reporters, MNS leader and former MLA Nitin Sardesai remarked, “It’s fair to say that discussions are in the final stages, though it’s hard to specify when it will be officially declared. I can assure you that all parties are making efforts to finalize the talks.” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab met Raj Thackeray to negotiate seat-sharing.
A Sena (UBT) official stated that discussions are nearing completion and there are no obstacles to the seat-sharing agreement.
“The two brothers are anticipated to officially announce their alliance on Monday during a public event or press conference, setting the stage for the civic polls,” he indicated.
Raj Thackeray left the united Shiv Sena, attributing his departure to Uddhav in 2005, and established the MNS in 2006. They have been political adversaries since then.
However, following the lackluster performance of their parties in the Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024—where the Sena (UBT) secured 20 seats while the MNS failed to win any—both leaders chose to put their political differences aside and seek common ground for survival.
In recent months, the two cousins have appeared together on stage or at public events several times for various occasions.
The cousins publicly reconciled after two decades of estrangement in July when they spoke at a joint rally. Uddhav mentioned that they have united to remain together.
