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New Delhi: The Thackeray cousins, Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray, on Saturday said their political fight was far from over after suffering a major setback in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. They vowed to continue championing the cause of the Marathi people.
In their first reaction to the defeat, both leaders said they would stand firmly with Marathis and rebuild their political strength after losing control of Mumbai's civic body.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray said the election was "not an easy one", describing it as a contest between "tremendous money power and the power of authority against Shivshakti".
"This election was not an easy one. It was a battle of tremendous money power and the power of authority against Shivshakti. Yet even in such a fight, the workers of both parties gave an excellent battle," Raj Thackeray said in a post on X, congratulating elected corporators of the MNS and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray).
Acknowledging his party's poor performance, Raj Thackeray said the setback would not weaken his resolve. "It is saddening that MNS did not achieve the expected success, but that does not mean we will lose heart and give up," he said, adding that his party's corporators would strongly oppose any action against the interests of Marathis.
He said the MNS would continue its fight for the Marathi people, the Marathi language and Marathi identity, calling it a long-term struggle.
Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) echoed the sentiment. In a post on X, the party said, "This battle is not over yet" while sharing a photograph of late Balasaheb Thackeray, who had led Marathi identity politics in Maharashtra.
The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance swept the BMC elections on Friday, winning 118 of the 227 seats and crossing the majority mark of 114. The BJP secured 89 seats, while Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 29.
Shiv Sena (UBT) won 65 seats, a drop from the 84 seats secured by the undivided party in 2017, before the 2022 split. The MNS won six seats.
