BMC polls: Marathi identity in play as Thackeray cousins join hands

Mumbai: Nearly 20 years after Raj Thackeray split from his cousin to form his own party, the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena (UBT Sena) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have come together to fight the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls.

On Wednesday, Uddhav and Raj Thackeray held a press conference to announce the alliance for the Mumbai civic elections to take on the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. "We have come together and will stay together to save Mumbai from being broken away from Maharashtra. There is a conspiracy against Mumbai and Maharashtra and we have taken a vow to destroy them," said Uddhav.

The Thackeray brothers have projected their coming together as an attempt to preserve Marathi language and culture, which according to them is facing an onslaught from the BJP which they are labelling as an "outsider". The two parties are counting on the Marathi vote bank to triumph over the BJP and Shiv Sena combine for the Mumbai civic polls.


Uddhav likened their alliance to the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, which led to the creation of a Marathi-speaking state of Maharashtra. "I am sure that the Marathi manoos (man) will take it as a challenge and stick together, and will foil this conspiracy against Mumbai.... This is to safeguard Maharashtra," said Uddhav.

While the two have announced an alliance, hectic negotiations on seat-sharing for Mumbai and other civic bodies are still ongoing between the two parties. Raj, however, claimed that their seat sharing discussions are over and they are deliberately not declaring the seats due to fears of their candidates being poached. "Like a gang that abducts children, there are political parties who take away our candidates. Hence we have kept this under wraps," said Raj.