Uddhav Pushes for BMC Alliance with MNS Despite Congress Resistance

• Uddhav wants joint fight with Congress and MNS in BMC elections
• Congress maintains it will contest alone in Mumbai
• MVA unity under strain over MNS inclusion
• Sena leadership confident BJP can be defeated only through united Opposition

GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 22nd Nov: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray is pushing for a united Opposition fight in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, seeking an alliance not only with his Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners but also with cousin Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), according to sources.

The move has triggered tensions within the MVA, as the Congress has already announced plans to contest the Mumbai civic polls independently. The decision was finalised during a recent Mumbai Congress convention chaired by Maharashtra state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala.

Congress leaders remain uncomfortable with the inclusion of the MNS in any alliance, despite welcoming the thaw in relations between the Thackeray cousins. The party has cautioned Uddhav Thackeray that it will not join hands if the MNS becomes part of the arrangement, sources said.

However, Uddhav Thackeray remains firm that the BMC elections must be fought jointly to prevent the BJP from gaining advantage. He believes that a split in the Opposition vote would weaken both Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, ultimately benefiting the ruling party.

Even as the Mumbai and Maharashtra Congress units take a solo position, backchannel communication continues. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders are attempting to convince Congress through senior figures including Varsha Gaikwad and the Mumbai Congress leadership, sources added.

With the polls expected early next year, the tussle over alliance strategy has put a spotlight on the fragile Opposition unity in Maharashtra — a state where the MVA jointly fought both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections this year.