Fadnavis Says Thackeray Brothers’ Alliance Failed as BJP Dominates BMC Polls

Pune, Jan 2026 : Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the alliance between the Thackeray brothers after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a sweeping victory in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Addressing a victory rally and later speaking to the media in Pune, CM Fadnavis described Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) as the “biggest loser” in its pre-poll tie-up with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT). He said the election outcome had validated his earlier assessment of the alliance’s political impact.

Despite the much-publicised reunion of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, the MNS managed to win only eight seats in the BMC, a result Fadnavis said clearly exposed the imbalance within the partnership.

“Politically, it was evident to me from the beginning that the MNS would emerge as the biggest loser in this alliance. The results have confirmed my prediction. While the tie-up may have helped Uddhav Thackeray, Raj Thackeray and his party gained nothing from it,” the Chief Minister said.

Reacting to these remarks, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray rejected the claim that the alliance was one-sided or unsuccessful. He pointed out that an MNS candidate won from the ward that houses Shiv Sena Bhavan, describing it as proof of mutual benefit.

“There was complete coordination and unity between the workers of both parties. Wherever we campaigned, there was no visible divide between Shiv Sena and MNS supporters. We fought the election with a shared resolve,” Uddhav Thackeray asserted.

Highlighting the BJP’s emphatic performance, CM Fadnavis termed the party’s victory in the BMC elections as “all-touching and all-pervading.” He said the BJP had broken long-standing barriers of caste, class and language in Mumbai’s complex political landscape.

“The Marathi manoos of Mumbai, whom some believed belonged exclusively to them, has today stood firmly with the BJP. Our corporators have won in slums, high-rise buildings, chawls and Koliwadas alike. There is not a single segment of the city where the BJP did not make its presence felt,” he said.

Fadnavis credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for the BJP’s sustained electoral success since 2014, stating that voters had repeatedly endorsed the party’s governance model.

He also pointed out that although the BJP contested fewer seats than the opposition, it achieved a significantly higher strike rate and vote share, underscoring what he described as the party’s growing acceptance and organisational strength in Mumbai’s civic politics.

Team Maverick.