Mumbai, Feb 12
Shiv Sena(UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took a swipe at the BJP-led Mahayuti, saying that despite a flood of money in the recent local and civic body elections, it could not break the wall of loyalty.
He urged party activists not to be discouraged and to stay ready for future battles, as people are still looking towards them with hope.
He was speaking to the party’s elected members, after the elections to the 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis proved the dominance of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
After consecutive wins in Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats, and Municipal Corporations, the BJP has secured a "hat-trick" of victories, establishing itself as the number one party in the state. In contrast, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a major defeat in this election.
While accepting defeat, Thackeray delivered a morale-boosting message to party workers and the candidates who won. “You have truly performed a miracle. You achieved success even under extremely adverse conditions," he noted. He further stated, “Even if the situation is unfavourable today, the future belongs to us. The courage with which you fought these elections is our true strength," Thackeray stated.
While the Mahayuti has gained significant ground in rural Maharashtra -- the backbone of the state -- Thackeray’s reaction signals that Shiv Sena(UBT) is preparing to return to the field with renewed strength. Despite the low seat count, Thackeray praised the resilience of his winning candidates, reiterating that the "flood of money" from the opposition failed to dismantle the loyalty of his supporters.
Thackeray’s comment is important as the 2026 rural polls were seen as a critical litmus test for political parties ahead of the next Assembly cycle. The BJP’s performance in districts like Latur, Sangli, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar has reinforced its grassroots organisational strength. On the other hand, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena showed strong performance in coastal belts, and the NCP (Ajit Pawar) maintained its stronghold in Western Maharashtra.
Earlier, the Shiv Sena(UBT) on Wednesday said that although the BJP achieved a significant "hat-trick" in Maharashtra’s local body polls after its success in Municipal Council and Corporation elections, this political "bloom" masks a deepening crisis in rural livelihoods and democratic integrity.
The Thackeray camp in a scathing editorial of the party’s mouthpiece, 'Saamana', had claimed that the BJP’s victory in rural strongholds was "unnatural" and "artificial" like "Chinese goods" rather than genuine public support. "The victory of the BJP and the 'fake' Shiv Sena faction lacks legitimacy because their very party identities and symbols are in question. How can the victory of those whose party and symbol themselves are not real be considered true? Nevertheless, the reckless splashing of gulal (victory powder) continues,” it said.
