Thackerays make it official, announce tie-up for BMC polls with an appeal to Marathi voters

The announcement resembled a family reunion, with family members — including Uddhav and Raj’s wives Rashmi and Sharmila, and their sons, Aaditya and Amit — in attendance. However, the only leader on stage with the Thackeray cousins was Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, who is believed to have played a key role in bringing the two cousins together.

“This is a historic day for Maharashtra. The state was formed for the unity of the Marathi people. Today, that unity is once again on display, with both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray sharing the dais. Present-day Maharashtra can only be led by a Thackeray, and the state will stand with the Thackerays,” Raut said.

Recalling that Maharashtra was formed after the sacrifice of 106 people and that the Thackeray family was at the forefront of the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, Uddhav alleged that forces that did not want Mumbai to be a part of Maharashtra were now working through their representatives to achieve the same. “If we continue quarrelling now, it will be an insult to the Samyukta Maharashtra movement. We have to come together,” he said.

Urging Marathi voters to unite, Uddhav referred to the BJP’s “batenge to katenge (divided we fall)” slogan from its Assembly campaign. “I am telling Maharashtrians across the state: remember this — ‘chukla tar sampal (if you err now, you will be finished)’,” he said.

Raj, meanwhile, recalled his remarks during a podcast with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar, which he claimed had “started the process of the two cousins coming together”. “Today, we announce that the Sena (UBT) and MNS have formed an alliance. I have only one request to all Maharashtrians and those who love Maharashtra — stand with us in this election,” he said.

While the MNS chief said the seat-sharing arrangement for the 227-ward BMC would be announced later, he reiterated the promise to install a Marathi mayor in Mumbai if the alliance won the polls.

Taking a dig at the BJP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena for being “on a spree of poaching leaders,” Raj said Maharashtra was witnessing a rise in criminals who snatch children. “Now, two political parties have been added to that list. They snatch political kids,” he remarked.

Asked whether the Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance caused a split in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) following the Congress’s decision to go it alone citing Raj’s “hardline” stance towards non-Marathi speakers Uddhav said, “What can I say about this? I will not comment on what others are saying. We are looking after the needs of Maharashtra and the Marathi people.”