The political setback suffered by the Thackeray cousins in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections has not dampened their resolve to continue championing Marathi identity politics. After losing control of India’s richest civic body for the first time in 25 years, leaders from both factions made it clear that their political fight is far from over.
Soon after the results were declared, Uddhav Thackeray’s party, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), shared a post featuring the late Balasaheb Thackeray, underscoring the legacy of Marathi pride that has shaped the party’s politics for decades. “This fight isn’t over yet,” the post said, assuring supporters that the struggle for respect and rights of the Marathi community would continue.
The BMC election results marked a major political shift in Mumbai. The BJP, in alliance with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction, wrested control of the civic body, ending the Thackerays’ long-standing dominance. Despite the cousins coming together ahead of the polls in an attempt to challenge the ruling Mahayuti alliance, the results dealt a blow to what was seen as a renewed Thackeray political experiment.
Even so, Uddhav Thackeray’s camp struck a defiant tone. The party, which won 65 of the 227 wards, said the mandate would not weaken its commitment to the Marathi cause. Leaders insisted the election outcome was only one phase in a longer political battle.
Raj Thackeray, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), echoed a similar sentiment in a strongly worded statement. Although the MNS managed to win only six seats, Raj Thackeray said electoral losses would not deter him from raising issues affecting Marathi people. Warning those in power, he said any action perceived as being against Marathi interests would be met with strong resistance from his party’s representatives.
Calling the struggle for Marathi identity a long-term one, Raj Thackeray said elections come and go, but cultural identity remains central to political existence in Maharashtra. He accused the ruling alliance of marginalising and exploiting Marathis across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and the wider state, and vowed to rebuild the MNS from the ground up.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance emerged as the clear winner of the BMC polls, securing 118 wards and crossing the majority mark of 114. The BJP won 89 wards, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena secured 29. The elections, held after a nine-year gap, saw intense competition with around 1,700 candidates contesting 227 seats in a civic body that controls an annual budget exceeding Rs 74,400 crore.
While the results mark a decisive shift in Mumbai’s civic politics, the post-election statements from both Uddhav and Raj Thackeray suggest that Marathi identity will remain a central theme in their future political strategies, even as they regroup after a significant defeat.
