Thackeray cousins keep grip on Marathi heartland despite Mahayuti surge

The Sena (UBT) and MNS alliance managed to secure 71 out of 227 seats in the Mumbai civic elections. While they held onto some areas, their overall performance fell short of expectations, showing that regaining full control of the city remains a challenge.

The Thackeray-led Sena successfully retained its strongholds in Central and South Mumbai, which are considered the party’s Marathi heartland. These areas have consistently supported Sena (UBT) in past elections, and the results show continued loyalty from local voters.

Out of roughly 20 key wards in this central belt, the UBT-MNS alliance won the majority of seats. Their success prevented the Shinde Sena from establishing a stronghold in these historically significant Marathi-dominated areas.

In areas not dominated by Marathi speakers or with mixed populations, the alliance struggled. Their limited impact in these neighborhoods highlighted the difficulty of expanding support beyond their core voter base.

Sena (UBT) had previously won the South Mumbai Lok Sabha seat and assembly seats in Worli, Sewri, and Dadar-Mahim. Winning BMC wards in these areas was crucial to maintaining influence, and the party largely succeeded, while Mahayuti managed only minor gains.

The party fielded senior leaders, including former mayors Kishori Pednekar, Vishakha Raut, and Milind Vaidya. All three won their wards, demonstrating that established leaders continue to have strong support in key areas of Central Mumbai.

Central Mumbai witnessed high-stakes contests. In Dadar-Mahim and Worli, Shinde Sena candidates Samadhan Sarvankar and Priya Sarvankar lost to Sena (UBT) representatives Nishikant Shinde and Vishakha Raut. Mahayuti won only a couple of seats in these areas.

UBT-MNS faced setbacks from former corporators who switched sides before the elections. MNS’s Santosh Dhuri joined BJP, and former Sena (UBT) MLA Dagdu Sakpal moved to Sena. These defections created challenges, but the alliance still managed to maintain its core seats.

In Worli, four out of six wards saw internal conflicts due to ticket distribution favoring family members of UBT leaders. Despite these rebellions, Sena (UBT)-MNS retained most of the seats, showing resilience in the face of organizational challenges.

With a strike rate of 32%, the UBT-MNS combine successfully defended its Marathi heartland but struggled elsewhere. Mahayuti made minor gains, but the elections underlined the alliance’s reliance on traditional voters and its difficulty in expanding influence across Mumbai.