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Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray connected Friday (January 9, 2026) expressed displeasure with the Congress, which has divided with his enactment for the upcoming civic elections successful Mumbai and 28 different cities successful Maharashtra. “You should inquire the Congress. They abruptly broke ties with america without talking to me. Why did they bash that?” helium asked during an exclusive speech with The Hindu. He besides deed retired astatine the BJP. “When I was forced to articulation hands with the Congress aft they backstabbed me, they accused maine of leaving Hindutva. Why did the BJP permission Hindutva successful Ambarnath then?”
The Shiv Sena (UBT) person was referring to the Ambernath Municipal Council, wherever 12 Maharashtra Congress councillors, were suspended for allying with BJP. When asked astir the destiny of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) successful Maharashtra and the INDIA bloc astatine the nationalist level, helium said helium would privation to spot each those warring against the BJP to articulation hands.
He expressed assurance successful Shiv Sena (UBT)’s triumph successful the elections. When asked if helium wants to spot the Pawar household reunite too, Mr. Uddhav Thackeray, who had precocious reunited with his relative and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) person Raj Thackeray, said helium wanted to spot families everyplace “reunited”. Asked astir the interaction his reconciliation with Mr. Raj Thackeray would person connected the 2029 election, helium said, “I don’t privation to speculate. I spot bully impact. Why should I deliberation otherwise?”
Election to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the country’s richest civic body, is to beryllium held connected January 15. Over 1,700 candidates are successful the fray crossed 227 wards, with counting acceptable for January 16. The Thackerays person travel unneurotic aft a spread of 2 decades, starring to the Congress’s exit from the State alliance, citing the MNS’s anti-migrant stance. The Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) has, however, stayed with the Shiv Sena (UBT) successful Mumbai, but the enactment has traditionally had insignificant beingness successful Mumbai. Meanwhile, the ruling Mahayuti is warring the predetermination arsenic a azygous bloc.
‘Not a conflict of endurance for the Thackerays’
When asked if it was the conflict for endurance that had brought the 2 cousins together, helium denied specified claims, arguing the Thackeray household had traditionally fought for Marathi pridefulness and volition proceed to bash so.
“If you look astatine Shiv Sena’s past since its formation, we person mislaid much elections than we person won. I don’t hold this is simply a ‘battle of survival’ for us. Electoral victories and losses happen. The BJP connected the different manus wants to decorativeness the Shiv Sena due to the fact that it wants to summation implicit power implicit Mumbai and manus it implicit to the ‘masters successful Delhi’. But the Thackerays person ever stood for Mumbai and the Marathi, since the Samyukta Maharashtra movement. The Thackeray bequest stands for Maharashtra, Marathis and Hindutva. At a clip erstwhile the BJP wears the disguise of Hindutva to decorativeness disconnected Marathi pridefulness and identity, 2 brothers warring for Marathis should articulation hands. This is what has brought america together,” helium said.
Also Read | Won’t let imposition of Hindi successful Maharashtra, BJP trying to make connection divide: Uddhav
Against imposition of Hindi
Expressing anguish against the BJP, helium said the Thackerays volition combat against its “dictatorship”, which seeks to enforce “one language, 1 party, and 1 election”. Giving the illustration of party’s combat against the government’s determination to instrumentality three-language argumentation successful superior education, helium said the section connection and civilization needs to beryllium respected, and that Hindi should not beryllium imposed.
“Don’t enforce Hindi connected us. We tin speech successful Hindi. But we volition not tolerate dictatorship. We judge successful unity successful diversity. You can’t enforce 1 language, 1 enactment connected everyone. It is not acceptable,” helium said.
Marathi Mayor
Amid the BJP’s communicative that “any Khan volition go the Mayor of Mumbai” if the Shiv Sena (UBT) won the BMC polls, helium said lone a Marathi volition go a Mayor of Mumbai. “We are not asking for a Marathi Mayor successful Gujarat. So far, the Shiv Sena has fixed 23 Mayors to Mumbai, and each of them person been Marathis. It is futile erstwhile BJP tries to divert the narrative. We volition triumph and Mumbai volition person a Marathi Mayor,” helium said. “I privation to inquire Mr. Fadnavis, ‘Are you a Marathi oregon not? Are you a Hindu oregon not?’”
Threat to determination aspirations
Mr. Uddhav Thackeray said the BJP was a menace to the determination aspirations crossed the country. “Our combat is akin to what [Tamil Nadu Chief Minister] Mr. Stalin is warring against successful Tamil Nadu and [Bengal Chief Minister] Ms. Mamata Banerjee successful Bengal. But if you look astatine the script close now, the Congress has joined hands with the BJP. The BJP has gone to AIMIM. Who is warring against the BJP?” helium asked.
‘Use and propulsion for Shinde’
Mr. Uddhav Thackeray said the process to sideline Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had begun, and it was reflected successful the Ambarnath situation. “Raj and I person travel unneurotic to bring the Marathi votes together. But gaddar [traitor] is being utilized by Delhi to disagreement that vote. Gujarat wants to seizure Mumbai, truthful Shinde is being used. They volition propulsion him aft use, similar they did successful Thane. Now, BJP Minister Ganesh Naik has unearthed the FSI [Floor Space Index] scam successful Navi Mumbai. Who is it against? It is clear,” helium said.
He said that his party’s imaginativeness for Mumbai was cleanable air, amended nationalist infrastructure, h2o availability. “We person been showcasing the enactment we did successful Mumbai for each these years with our run Karun Dakhavla [We person done it].”
