Overview
- At Mumbai’s Shanmukhanand Hall, the cousins appeared together in a rare show of unity, leaning into Marathi-first messaging and taking aim at political rivals.
- Uddhav Thackeray told supporters Shiv Sena (UBT) is “not a party but an idea,” alleging money power and defections were deployed to erase the Thackeray name.
- Raj Thackeray called Maharashtra politics a “marketplace of slaves,” referenced his call for occasional flexibility, and criticized the Kalyan-Dombivli episode as disgusting.
- The January 15 BMC results gave the BJP 89 seats and Shinde’s Shiv Sena 29, against 65 for Shiv Sena (UBT) and 6 for MNS, handing the Mahayuti a working majority.
- Eknath Shinde said MNS backing in Kalyan-Dombivli was for development and projected Mahayuti mayoral wins as Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders split over whether to seek his faction’s support in Mumbai.