In his first public address after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray adopted a combative tone, asserting that the BJP had failed to “finish off Shiv Sena on the ground” and could not “buy loyalty despite using all possible means.” Addressing party workers in Mumbai, Thackeray alleged that the BJP was attempting to “mortgage Mumbai” and had won the civic polls through betrayal. “The Marathi manoos will never forgive this sin,” he said.
“There is a fundamental difference between the BJP and us,” Thackeray remarked. “Shiv Sena may have been targeted on paper, but no one can erase it from the hearts of the people. Betrayers can be purchased through money, pressure, agencies and tactics, but loyalty is never for sale. Our responsibility is now greater than ever.” Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) issued its first reaction on social media after the results, declaring that the fight was far from over. “This battle is not over yet. It will continue until the Marathi person gets the respect they deserve,” the party said.
In the BMC elections, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) managed to win only six seats. However, the Sena (UBT)–MNS alliance put up a strong performance in parts of south and central Mumbai—widely regarded as the Marathi heartland—winning most of the roughly 20 wards in the region. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena could secure just two seats in these areas. The Thackeray cousins also dominated Worli, winning six of the seven seats there, despite Sena (UBT) facing rebel candidates in four wards.
In contrast, the ruling Mahayuti alliance, backed strongly by the Gujarati community, swept Mulund and won seven of the 11 seats in Ghatkopar’s N ward. After nearly three decades of control over India’s richest civic body, the Thackeray family has lost the BMC to the Mahayuti alliance, led by the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, a former Shiv Sena loyalist who split from the party three-and-a-half years ago. Mahayuti crossed the halfway mark of 114 seats in the 227-member House, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with 89 seats, followed by Shinde’s Sena with 29. Despite its lead, the BJP will require Shinde Sena’s support for key decisions.
The Uddhav–Raj Thackeray alliance won a total of 71 seats—65 for Shiv Sena (UBT) and six for the MNS—retaining considerable influence in Mumbai’s Marathi-dominated areas. However, the combine failed to make significant gains in neighbouring urban centres such as Thane and Navi Mumbai.