A day ahead of Mumbai’s crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray visited the iconic Mumbadevi
temple here on Wednesday. The cousins visited the temple with their wives and children to offer prayers to Mumbadevi, revered as the patron goddess of Mumbai.
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The visit is symbolic as the Thackeray cousins have claimed that they are fighting the election together to save Mumbai.
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Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs Anil Desai, Sanjay Raut and Arvind Sawant were also present with the Thackeray cousins at the temple.
Earlier, the family was seen together at Raj Thackeray’s residence for Makar Sankranti celebrations
Elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, will be held on Thursday and votes will be counted on Friday.
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The elections mark a reunion of the cousins who were estranged for more than two decades.
Uddhav Thackeray, who lost a majority of his MLAs, MPs, BMC corporators and even the party symbol and name to Shinde, is fighting for survival and the tag of being the real Sena.
For Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray. who had left the Shiv Sena in 2006, it is a fight for political relevance.
The Thackerays have been claiming that this election is crucial for the Marathi manoos. Raj has even been raking up of the anti-North Indian migration and Marathi pride talks.
Expressing confidence in winning the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant declared that their party will once again hoist the saffron flag in Mumbai by defeating ‘corrupt forces’ in the upcoming polls.
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Sawant emphasised that the party believes in bringing everyone along, noting that Mumbai has always been an inclusive city, which is why people live peacefully. “The atmosphere in Mumbai is all about ‘Shiv-Bhagwa’, it’s about Uddhav and Raj, it’s about Aaditya, it’s about the ‘Mashaal’ and the engine. Everyone has decided that by removing corrupt people from here, we will once again hoist the saffron flag. We are the Shiv Sena that takes everyone along… Mumbai has always been inclusive, that’s why everyone lives here peacefully. Now, where have these people brought up this issue of caste and community from? It’s a municipal corporation election… and that’s the issue, talk about that, talk about what you want to give to the people…,” Sawant told ANI.
