Under growing pressure from its cadre questioning the relevance of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance after its poor performance in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced on Saturday its decision to contest urban local body and Zilla Parishad elections independently, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.

“From Mumbai to Nagpur, we will contest corporation elections on our own. Let’s test our strength. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray has approved this decision,” Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said in Nagpur.

Cadre Pressure After Electoral Setback

The decision follows intense criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders and workers after the alliance secured only 46 Assembly seats—20 from Shiv Sena (UBT), 16 from Congress, and 10 from NCP-SP—falling behind the Shinde-led Sena, which won 57 seats. The party’s vote share also dropped sharply to 9.96% from 16.72% in the Lok Sabha elections six months prior.

In a meeting with Thackeray shortly after the election results, a majority of the 20 Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs advocated for severing ties with the MVA to reconnect with their base and curb the drift of support to the Shinde faction.

Focus on BMC Elections

With key civic elections approaching, including the BMC, which the Shiv Sena has controlled since the 1970s, the party believes going solo will strengthen its position against both the BJP and the Shinde-led Sena in the high-stakes municipal polls. Civic body elections across Maharashtra’s major cities have been delayed for two years, with state-appointed administrators overseeing operations in the interim.

Raut, however, clarified that this move doesn’t signify a break from the MVA. “In the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, our cadre was denied opportunities to contest, which hindered growth. Now, we’ve decided to independently fight Corporation, Zilla Parishad, and Council elections to rebuild our base,” he said.

Grassroots Demand for Independence

Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders welcomed the decision, pointing to long-standing grassroots demands for independent contests. “Until we go solo, we can’t gauge our strength. While alliances were necessary for national and Assembly polls, local elections provided a platform for our cadre to contest. Many believe we could’ve won more than 20 seats independently in the Assembly polls,” said Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant.

Congress and NCP Reactions

The Congress reacted cautiously, with Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad stating, “Sanjay Raut isn’t the party president. Such announcements should come from Uddhav Thackeray or be discussed among senior leaders first.” She acknowledged similar sentiments among Congress workers but said the final decision rests with the leadership.

NCP-SP, meanwhile, left the matter to district committees. “Local leaders decide civic poll strategies based on ground feedback,” said NCP-SP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase, noting that Congress and NCP had historically contested civic polls independently even during UPA-1 and UPA-2.

Background of the MVA Alliance

The MVA was formed after the 2019 Assembly elections when the Shiv Sena (then united) split from the BJP over a power-sharing dispute. It subsequently allied with the NCP and Congress to form the government. However, the coalition collapsed in 2022 following Eknath Shinde’s rebellion and the subsequent split in the NCP led by Ajit Pawar in 2023.