MNS Chief Raj Thackeray, Congress Leader Balasaheb Thorat, Shivsena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP Leader Jayant Patil during the Opposition press conference after meeting the Chief Election Officer regarding issues in Maharashtra voter lists, in Mumbai on October 15, 2025.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Ahead of the upcoming local body elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday (November 18, 2025) advised Congress to introspect on its will to run independently in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, following its downfall in the Bihar elections.
In the party mouthpiece Saamana, Shiv Sena (UBT) warned Congress that the move only helps BJP and would cause a rift in the opposition alliance Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).
Also Read | Congress signals solo fight for Mumbai civic polls
“Bihar election verdict reflects what games the BJP is playing, and now is not the time to think about who has what ideology. This will end in splits in votes, so we have to fight unitedly,” mentioned the editorial, questioning what happened to Congress’s vote bank in Bihar, where Shiv Sena (UBT) or MNS were not there.
The editorial also emphasises the inclusion of Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the MVA, saying it will “strengthen the alliance”. The editorial openly addressed the Congress’s concerns over onboarding Raj Thackeray, that it might harm North India and shake its Muslim voter base.
The opinion piece comes after several Congress party leaders expressed to go solo in the BMC polls. The editorial piece attracted criticism from a Congress leader, saying that comparing Bihar and State local elections is not necessary.
“Whether these comparisons have any substance, it is to be thought. What happened in Maharashtra, the same happened in Haryana and Bihar. Despite having a coalition of 10 parties, we lost in Bihar. In Maharashtra, we won as an alliance in the Lok Sabha and also lost in the Assembly elections. So, we don’t have to compare anything,” said Congress leader Harshwardhan Sapkal.
Also Read | Large-scale anomalies in voters’ list, postpone Maharashtra local body elections, say Opposition parties
The party, through its mouthpiece, asserted that Congress has “nothing to worry about their Muslim and North Indian vote base; they will continue to support the MVA”.
“Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s comment of teaching a lesson to the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar can only be achieved if MVA remains united,” it said.
Published – November 19, 2025 03:17 am IST
