“They Can Split Again”: Uddhav Thackeray Targets Shinde, Says Sena Corporators Shifted to Five-Star Hotel Out of Fear
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has launched a sharp attack on Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, alleging that the latter is “scared of the BJP” after the newly elected Shiv Sena corporators were moved to a five-star hotel in Mumbai following the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election results.
Breaking his silence after losing control of India’s richest civic body to the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance, Thackeray hinted at possible unrest within the Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction amid the power struggle over the BMC.
“Eknath Shinde is scared of the BJP, which is why he has kept his corporators in a five-star hotel. He knows that if they could split once, they can split again,” Uddhav said, referring to the 2022 rebellion that led to the split of the Shiv Sena and the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
Corporators Shifted to Hotel Amid Poaching Fears
According to sources, all 29 elected Shiv Sena corporators were instructed to report to the Taj Lands End hotel to prevent any possible attempts at horse-trading or poaching. The move comes amid heightened political tension following the Mahayuti’s decisive victory across Maharashtra’s municipal corporations.
On Friday, the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) alliance won 25 of the 29 municipal corporations in the state. The biggest political shift came in Mumbai, where the BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the BMC with 89 seats. With the support of the Shinde Sena, the alliance crossed the majority mark of 114, ending the Thackeray family’s nearly 30-year control over the civic body.
Uddhav-Raj Alliance Holds Ground
Despite the setback, Uddhav Thackeray insisted his party was far from finished. The Uddhav Sena-MNS alliance — led by estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray coming together after two decades — secured 71 seats (65 by Shiv Sena UBT and 6 by MNS), retaining influence over key Marathi-dominated wards in Mumbai.
“We still wish that our mayor should be elected in Mumbai. Even today, that is our wish. But at present, we do not have the numbers,” Uddhav admitted.
‘They Can Erase Us on Paper, Not on the Ground’
Asserting his faction’s political relevance, Thackeray said, “They can finish Shiv Sena on paper, but not from the soil. BJP exists only on paper; it is not visible on the ground.”
He accused the ruling alliance of misusing state machinery and resorting to “power, money, and threats” to engineer defections, but maintained that the loyalty of Shiv Sena workers remained intact.
Taking a dig at Mahayuti rallies, Uddhav added, “Huge crowds were seen at my and Raj’s joint rallies, while Mahayuti rallies had empty chairs. I wonder if chairs voted for them, because they got the votes.”
‘Battle Far From Over’
Ending his remarks on a defiant note, the former chief minister said the fight for Mumbai — and for Shiv Sena’s identity — was far from finished.
“The battle is not over yet,” Uddhav declared.
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