24 December,2025 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Sanjeev Shivadekar
MNS chief Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) president. FILE PICS/RANE ASHISH
After years of studied silence and bitterness on the political stage, cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray have decided to come together, putting aside old differences to fight in the name of Marathi pride and Maharashtra's identity. The reunion is widely seen as a politically necessary move to stay relevant in the city and state's quickly changing political landscape.
Both of their parties are facing tough times. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has been weakened after the split led by Eknath Shinde, while the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has been struggling to make an electoral comeback. With the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election approaching, leaders from both camps believe unity is the only way to avoid a split in the Marathi vote and regain lost ground. In fact, the upcoming BMC battle is seen as a do-or-die one for them.
The Sena (UBT) and MNS alliance is expected to put up a strong fight against BJP and its allies, particularly Shinde's Shiv Sena faction. The ruling Mahayuti is keen to wrest control of the BMC, long considered the Thackerays' strongest bastion.
Mumbai remains central to the politics of both cousins. For nearly 25 years, the Shiv Sena controlled the BMC, making the city the party's political and financial backbone. Mumbai was also the core support base of the MNS, which drew much of its early strength from Marathi-speaking voters in Mumbai. Losing control of Mumbai has meant losing influence and organisational strength. With the civic polls nearing, both Uddhav and Raj see the city as the key battleground to revive their political fortunes.
Raj quit the Shiv Sena in 2005, saying he was being sidelined, particularly by Uddhav and his close aides. A year later, he formed the MNS, reviving the "sons of the soil" agenda, the very plank on which his uncle Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966.
The MNS made its electoral debut in the 2007 Mumbai civic poll, winning seven seats. It performed better in 2012, securing 27 seats, its best performance in the city. However, the party's strength declined thereafter and in the 2017 election, it won only seven seats, six of which later shifted to Uddhav Thackeray's camp, when the Shiv Sena was still unified.
The slide continued in the 2024 Assembly elections, where the MNS failed to win a single seat despite contesting over 110 of the 288 constituencies. Even Raj's son, Amit, lost his debut poll from the Mahim Assembly constituency, finishing third.
Uddhav's party also suffered major setbacks. In 2019, the Shiv Sena broke its long-time alliance with the BJP over the chief minister's post. Uddhav later formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi government with the Congress and the then-undivided NCP and became chief minister. But in 2022, Eknath Shinde led a rebellion that split the party, forcing Uddhav to step down. The impact was evident in 2024, when his faction won only 20 Assembly seats, down from over 55 in 2019.
As both cousins struggled to regain relevance, the Mahayuti government's move to introduce a three-language formula in schools, seen as a push for Hindi, changed the political mood. The Sena (UBT) and MNS strongly opposed the move, forced the withdrawal of the government resolution, and used the issue to bury their differences, coming together for what they called the cause and pride of Marathi and Maharashtra.
Reacting to the development of cousins coming together, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said, "Mumbai is close to the heart of both Senas [MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT)], and now they are trying their best to retain their ground."
