Mumbai | Correspondent
The recent unity between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray over opposition to the imposition of Hindi in education has prompted serious strategic discussions within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Senior sources in the Mahayuti alliance revealed that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde held a detailed meeting regarding the potential impact of a Thackeray brothers' alliance in the upcoming municipal elections.
The trigger was a government decision to make Hindi compulsory from the first grade under the three-language policy. In response, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray shared the same stage for the first time in 19 years, voicing strong opposition. During the "Marathi Vijay Sabha," Uddhav hinted at a long-term alliance, stating, “We’ve come together to stay together.”
This development has alerted the BJP, known for always staying in "election mode." Eknath Shinde’s recent visit to Delhi gained significance in this context. Sources confirm that Shah and Shinde discussed the potential alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS and its possible consequences for the Mahayuti in the municipal elections.
Reportedly, Shah also advised Shinde on counter-strategies to neutralize the impact of the Thackeray brothers' alliance. To gauge the ground sentiment, the BJP commissioned a private survey to assess how a united Thackeray front could affect voter behavior. The findings of this survey have been shared with Shinde.
With the BJP determined to gain control over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), both BJP and Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena are expected to make every possible effort to curb the Thackeray brothers' influence in the upcoming polls.
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