Cousin Alliance: Uddhav and Raj Thackeray renite after 20 years ahead of BMC Elections

It's official. Estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray on 24 December announced tie-up for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections scheduled for January 15 next year.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray made the official annoucement at a joint press conference in Mumbai.

“We have come together to stay together,” Uddhav Thackeray, said addressing press conference with Raj Thackeray.

Uddhav-led Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest 150 seats, while the Raj-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will field candidates in the remaining 77 seats, as per reports. The BMC has 227 seats.

In 2006, Raj was miffed over his cousin Uddhav's elevation as the undivided Sena’s working president. He walked out of the party and floated the MNS. The reunion of Thackeray cousins after two decades could mark a tectonic shift in Mumbai's political landscape.