'Many in BJP want alliance with Uddhav Thackeray': Sena UBT's Sanjay Raut stirs speculation

January 31,2025

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has claimed that several BJP leaders are open to rekindling ties with Uddhav Thackeray's faction, signaling a potential shift in Maharashtra's political landscape. While no official talks have taken place, Raut suggested that some within his party may also share similar sentiments.

"Many leaders from the ruling BJP wish for an alliance with the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Though no such discussions have taken place within the Sena (UBT), some members of the party might also share the same sentiments," Raut said on Thursday.

His remarks come after a lighthearted exchange between Thackeray’s close aide Milind Narvekar and BJP minister Chandrakant Patil at the wedding reception of BJP MLA Parag Alavani's daughter in Mumbai. Narvekar joked, "It’s good that journalists are not here... otherwise, they would say alliance talks are on." Patil quipped, "It would be a golden moment."

Raut pointed out that Patil represents the older generation of BJP leaders who understand the significance of the Sena-BJP partnership, which lasted for 25 years before breaking down in 2019 over the chief minister's post. "It worked well for 25 years," he remarked.

The Sena-BJP alliance collapsed in 2019 after Thackeray sided with Congress and NCP under the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to become Maharashtra's chief minister. The MVA government fell in 2022 following Eknath Shinde’s rebellion, which ultimately led to him taking over Shiv Sena's name and 'bow and arrow' symbol with BJP's backing.

With murmurs of a political realignment, Raut suggested that some in the BJP resonate with Patil's "golden moment" comment, hinting at dissatisfaction within the ruling coalition. "I doubt how long Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena will stay with the BJP. We are in a wait-and-watch mode," Raut said, casting uncertainty over the longevity of the Shinde-BJP partnership.

When asked if leaders within Sena (UBT) were also interested in joining hands with BJP, Raut admitted, "There might be. We went with the MVA because of some leaders in the BJP. You split our party and gave what we were rightfully demanding to Eknath Shinde."

Raut clarified that while such discussions have happened in the past, there have been no official alliance talks within Sena (UBT) yet. 

The wedding event also saw the presence of several political figures, including Kripashankar Singh and Krishna Hegde, both of whom contested against BJP's Parag Alavani in past elections. Singh has since joined BJP, while Hegde is now with Shiv Sena.

With Mahayuti securing 230 of 288 assembly seats in the recent elections, while MVA managed only 46, speculation about potential political shifts continues to build in Maharashtra.

(With inputs from PTI)