BMC elections: Will Uddhav Thackeray exit MVA to join hands with Raj Thackeray, MNS?

Day before yesterday when Uddhav Thackeray went to Shivtirth, the residence of Raj Thackeray, it was the fourth meeting between the cousins in the last couple of months. Uddhav had an agenda in mind, to discuss the proposal for electoral alliance for upcoming municipal elections.

Raj, being generous that he is, welcomed Uddhav with open arms and the two cousins discussed politics for more than two hours.

People in the know of developments said that the two brothers have agreed in principle to fight the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other municipal elections together as an alliance. But the larger question is whether Raj Thackeray and his MNS will be acceptable to Maha Vikas Aghadi where Congress and NCP - Sharadchandra Pawar are partnering Uddhav.

Neither the Congress is comfortable with Raj’s entry into MVA nor is he keen to join hands with the party. Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar told the media that any decision about the entry of Raj and the MNS into MVA will be taken by the Congress high command in Delhi and the state leaders will abide by the decision.

Congress is wary of Raj because of his anti-migrant and anti-north Indians stand. In Mumbai, Congress is dependent on the votes of north Indians, dalits and Muslims. They cannot afford to be seen hand-in-hand with Raj as Bihar election is around the corner.

Raj, too, has reservations about the Congress as his party's ideology is directly opposite to that of Congress. He knows that his cadre will be upset if there is any sort of alliance with Congress just for a few seats in Mumbai municipal corporation.

The option that emerges in this scenario is that Uddhav should bid a goodbye to MVA if he wants to align with Raj for the upcoming elections. And that is what was discussed between the cousins day before yesterday.

Sources close to Uddhav told THE WEEK that he had been studying how Raj and his party has been used by the ruling powers to cut Marathi votes. Raj, too, had realised it. So, the two cousins thought about a possible alliance.

According to the sources, Uddhav is unlikely to exit the MVA, but both him and the Congress will take a stand that if he wants to join hands with Raj, the seats should be shared from Shiv Sena (UBT) quota.

NCP - Sharadchandra Pawar will be with Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj as it has negligible fire power in Mumbai even during the days when party had not been split by Ajit Pawar.

Raj and Uddhav have come to a conclusion that if they come together, the Marathi manoos will vote for them in large numbers. Uddhav also feels that in the event of a hung verdict, Congress corporators will support him and they will be able to wrest control of the BMC.