BMC Election Results 2026: The Case Of The Thackeray Brothers' Collapse And 5 Questions That Are Left Hanging
BMC Election Results: For the first time in 25 years, the Thackeray fortress in the BMC has crumbled. Despite a high-profile reunion between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, the BJP-led Mahayuti has secured a historic majority.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsBMC Election Results: For the first time in the history of the metropolis, the Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to appoint their very own mayor in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Asia's richest municipal body. The Mahayuti Alliance has won a historic victory by hoisting the saffron flag in 25 of the 28 municipal corporations in the state of Maharashtra, leaving the Thackeray legacy in a state of crisis like never before.
The future of the Thackeray family in politics now depends on the survival chances of the 25-year-old Sena fort in BMC, which is crumbling away.
The Failed 'Brotherhood' Experiment
In a last-ditch effort to salvage their political lives, Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray ended their 20-year-long rivalry and decided to contest the BMC polls together. However, the people of Mumbai have soundly rejected this alliance. While the 25-year rule of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) has come to an end, Raj Thackeray's MNS failed to even breach the double-digit mark.
Why The 'Marathi Card' Failed In 2026
A number of considerations went into making the "Durgati" (Pathetic State) situation in the Thackeray.
Alienation of the Non-Marathi Vote: This was achieved by concentrating on "Hardcore Marathi Politics" and the assurance to the people that the mayor himself and the corporation officials would be Maharashtrians only.
The 'North Indian' Backlash: Resentment in the past due to violence targeting North Indians, as well as provocative stands on the Hindi language in the school curriculum in Maharashtra, came back to haunt them.
The Muslim Shift: The minority vote bank, which was once inclined towards Uddhav during the MVA regime, has abandoned the new Thackeray-Thackeray combine altogether.
Disconnect from the ground: While the Mahayuti political machinery was in full action in the streets, the Thackeray brothers seemed to be countering more in the form of press conferences than rallies, where they did not manage to reach the common Mumbaikar.
The 5 Burning Questions For Uddhav And Raj
The ensuing silence at Matoshree, following the results on Friday, has raised a question about the survival of the Thackeray legacy. Their political future has now been reduced to the following five major questions:
- The 'Raj' Factor: Was the alliance with Raj Thackeray more of a liability to Uddhav's integrity than an asset to his numbers?
- The MVA Mistake: Perhaps in defecting from both Congress and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, Uddhav sacrificed the support base needed to win elections in Mumbai?
- The Legacy War: Has the public accepted the new "Torchbearer of the Thackeray Legacy" in the form of Eknath Shinde?
- The Future of the Alliance: Will these brothers now be united in resistance or separated once more as a cause of total loss?
- The Existence Crisis: What may be the future of Uddhav's Shiv Sena if it loses the ability to win its own Mumbai?