Mumbai’s Saturday Blockbuster: Uddhav-Raj Reunion Sparks Political Fireworks.
What was meant to be a celebration over the Maharashtra government’s rollback of the three-language policy quickly transformed into a political spectacle. The real headline-grabber was the emotional reunion of Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray after nearly two decades — with strong hints of a potential political alliance ahead of high-stakes civic polls.
Cousins Reunited After 20 Years
The rally at Mumbai’s NSCI Dome was a rare sight: the Thackeray cousins, once close and later rivals, sharing a stage for the first time since 2005. Raj, who broke away from the undivided Shiv Sena in 2005 to form the MNS, struck a sardonic note:
“What Balasaheb couldn’t do, Devendra Fadnavis did — he brought us together.”
While Raj kept his tone ironic, Uddhav was more direct.
“We have come together to stay together. We will capture power in the BMC and across Maharashtra,” he thundered — drawing roaring applause from a packed audience, largely made up of Marathi voters.
The absence of party flags, symbols, or hoardings underscored the significance of the moment: this wasn’t a Shiv Sena (UBT) or MNS show — it was a Thackeray show, targeting the ‘Marathi manoos’ directly.
Alliance in the Making?
Despite the strong optics, a formal alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS still hangs in the balance. The timing is no coincidence — the long-delayed elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India’s richest civic body, are expected later this year. Both factions know the stakes: a win could revive their political fortunes, while another defeat could hasten their decline.
But challenges loom. Seat-sharing in Mumbai — where both parties claim overlapping strongholds — could become a major sticking point. Constituencies like Worli, Bhandup, and Sewri have seen both parties lock horns in the past. Reconciling grassroots rivalry will require more than public unity.
A Battle for Relevance
For Uddhav, the BMC elections are make-or-break. His faction, weakened by the 2022 Shiv Sena split and underwhelming Lok Sabha performance (20 seats, 10% vote share), faces an aggressive BJP-Shinde front. Raj’s MNS, meanwhile, is struggling for political survival — it drew just 1.6% of the vote in 2024 and failed to win a single Assembly seat.
The BJP has already dismissed the Uddhav-Raj show as symbolic, claiming it offers little in terms of real electoral threat. But the cousins’ calculated unity — emotional appeal, shared legacy, and singular focus on Marathi identity — could still tilt the balance, especially in Mumbai.
What’s Next?
With the BMC elections looming, the Thackerays have fired the first shot. Whether this turns into a formal alliance or fizzles out as political nostalgia will depend on how they navigate internal turf wars, vote-share realities, and their complicated history.
Still, in a state known for its dramatic political twists, the Uddhav-Raj reunion could be the wildcard that reshapes the 2025 landscape — or simply another footnote in a long saga of missed opportunities.
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