Thane: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut defended the alliance between the Uddhav Thackeray faction and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the upcoming 2026 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. Speaking to the media, Raut questioned the criticism surrounding the Thackeray brothers coming together, saying, “If the Thackeray brothers coming together doesn’t matter, then why is everyone making so much noise?… We will meet on the 16th. The Thackeray brothers are meeting.”
Raut also criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for their handling of Marathi issues. “Tell me, what has the Bharatiya Janata Party and Devendra Fadnavis done for the Marathi people? Except for Gopinath Munde, has anyone ever talked about an undivided Maharashtra? Has anyone raised their voice against the injustice being done to the Marathi people and the Belgaum-Karwar border issue?” he asked.
He further slammed BJP leaders like Bawankule for proposing the creation of a separate Vidarbha, accusing them of threatening Maharashtra’s unity. “Only Thackeray stood up against it… Did the Chief Minister stand up? It was the Chief Minister’s duty to demand an answer from Bawankule… It is because of Thackeray that he is the Chief Minister of this state… We will not let Mumbai be separated—that’s what’s bothering them,” Raut added.
