After much anticipation and several rounds of talks, and public appearances together for social and cultural causes, Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray on Wednesday (December 24, 2025) formally announced an alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the upcoming municipal corporation elections in Mumbai and in Nashik.
The election will be fought on the ‘Marathi pride’ plank, with both the cousins appealing to the Marathi manoos of Mumbai to unite and stay together. “Phutaal tar sampaal (we will be destroyed if we are divided),” Uddhav Thackeray warned Mumbaikars in an emotional appeal for the support of Thackerays.
Echoing the same sentiment, Raj Thackeray said, “Maharashtra is bigger than the differences between the two of us,” asserting that Mumbai’s mayor would be a Marathi manoos— from either the Shiv Sena (UBT) or the MNS.
In one of the shortest press conferences, attended by both families, the cousins refused to disclose the seat-sharing formula for the elections. Talks with the NCP (SP) were under way, they said, hinting that the Congress would no longer be part of the alliance. In a sign of the disintegration of MahaVikas Aghadi (MVA), Uddhav Thackeray said, “All parties have exited (the alliance).”
However, MNS sources told The Hindu that the Shiv Sena UBT was likely to fight on 120-130 seats, MNS on 50-60 seats and that they were still looking at NCP(SP) to fight on a few seats in Mumbai.
Raj Thackeray said, “Many child-abduction gangs are active in Maharashtra, and two more gangs have been added (referring to the BJP and Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena). They abduct the political children in the State. What we want to announce today is that the alliance between the Shiv Sena UBT and the MNS.”
Sources in both parties indicated that the seat-sharing talks would be finalised soon for Mumbai. “We think that we will have to step aside for them at a few places. Though we might have more sitting councillors at places, we will have to give a few such seats to them. How will their cadres work for us otherwise?” a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, while speaking to The Hindu.
Another leader said that the cousins coming together was an emotional moment for every Marathi-speaking Mumbaikar, and that it would impact the upcoming polls positively. Both parties are also banking on NCP (SP) to fight a few seats in Mumbai.
The Congress welcomed the alliance. “It is good if the family comes together. We extend our best wishes to them. The Congress wanted to fight the BMC polls along with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. We weren’t willing to go with the MNS,” Congress leader Vijay Waddettiwar told reporters.
Meanwhile, Mahayuti leaders accused the cousins of coming together for their own political survival. “I am glad they have come together. But I don’t think it will have much impact. They have betrayed Mumbaikars consistently; they have thrown out Mumbaikars from Mumbai. Nobody will support them here. Their track record is of corruption, of self-interest. They bank on emotional appeal when the elections are around the corner. But people are smart now,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
