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Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday called for Marathi unity after his party forged an alliance with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the upcoming Municipal Corporations elections in January.
Addressing a press conference with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Chief, Uddhav urged the Marathi community to stay united, emphasising the importance of solidarity ahead of the upcoming polls. Thackeray said, "During the assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party engaged in negative campaigning. With the slogan ''If we divide, we will be cut,'' an attempt was made to sow discord among the Marathi people. Now, if a mistake has been made, its consequences will be serious. If division happens again, we will be finished. Therefore, the Marathi people should not break, should not divide." On the occasion of the alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, he added, "I am giving this message of unity to the entire Maharashtra." The two parties coming together also signals the fact that identity politics will once again hold sway, with the UBT Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray clearly saying that the needs of the Marathi manoos will be looked into. The cause of Maharashtra has been kept as the biggest priority. MNS chief Raj Thackeray said, "The moment that Maharashtra was waiting for a long time, that Shiv Sena and MNS should come together, today we are officially announcing the same." "We have come together to stay together", said UBT Sena Chief Uddhav. Raj Thackeray said, "Maharashtra is bigger than any quarrel; we are announcing that our alliance has been formed, the mayor of Mumbai will be a Marathi and will be ours." The joint conference marks the coming together of the cousins - Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS Chief Raj Thackeray. For both party workers, it means the end of years of political distance between the two cousins. The cadres hope that after the drubbing in the Panchayat polls, the BMC elections will bring better news for the parties. Maharashtra State Election Commission has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Polling will be held on January 15, with counting set to take place on January 16. (ANI)
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