‘Bond Stronger Than…’: Maharashtra Opposition on Uddhav-Raj Thackeray Homecoming
MUMBAI, Maharashtra, India—July 5, 2025: Following the historic reunion of estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray at a joint rally in Mumbai, reactions have poured in from the wider Maharashtra Opposition. They are acknowledging both the significance of the Thackeray cousins sharing a stage after two decades and the reservations from those in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition, especially Congress, talking about their contributions to the cause of the Marathi language and questioning future alignment.
Congress Warns Against Misappropriation of Credit
Thus, Maharashtra Congress, the main ally in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) with Shiv Sena (UBT), created a distance from fully supporting the proposed “victory rally” organized by the Thackeray cousins. Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal stated that the party stood with the cause against Hindi imposition; nonetheless, the rollback should not be credited solely to the Thackerays.
Sapkal stated that the cross-section of society, including Congress, campaigned against the Hindi language GRs. He divulged that he himself had written 600 letters and organized several meetings with educationists and Marathi language experts to create a larger opposition.
NCP (SP) Offers Cautious Support
NCP, otherwise known as the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction—NCP SP) and a member of the MVA, showed a bit of support. Though the chief of NCP (SP), Sharad Pawar, couldn’t attend the rally, he had prior commitments.
Patil stressed the larger “Marathi cause” that made the cousins join hands, indicating that the union was indeed significant for the state. Like Congress, the NCP(SP) is also looking at how this revived Thackeray unity might affect future political equations because the BMC elections are slated for the near future.
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Thackeray: Hint at Alliance Permanent
Uddhav Thackeray made it obvious and clear while addressing the rally by saying, “We have come together to stay together,” hinting at a long-term political alliance with cousin Raj Thackeray. This pronouncement by the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief amounts to barring any strategic shift to consolidate Marathi votes before important polls at local body levels.
Speculation got further fed at this juncture by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who hinted at the possibility of a concrete alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the future. He said that while Shiv Sena (UBT) is part of the INDI alliance at the state level, civic polls might encounter different dynamics.
Consequences for MVA and Future Polls
The reunion will greatly impact internal dynamics within the MVA and, on a more extensive scale, electoral strategies. The Congress is understood to be holding the situation, with a meeting on July 7, 2025, set to account for how best it will approach the civic and zilla parishad polls. Some Congress leaders have already indicated a preference for contesting BMC polls independently, suggesting a degree of apprehension about fully aligning with the Thackerays’ immediate political agenda.
While the “Awaj Marathicha” rally may be termed a victory for Marathi unity, it has set the stage for realignments in the complex political arenas of Maharashtra. Such a scenario forces all opposition parties to revisit their strategies. The true mettle of this revived “bond” will rise to the surface with impending electoral battles.
