Senior Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) leader Bhaskar Jadhav has appealed to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to extend support to the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena’s candidate for the Mumbai Mayor’s post, reigniting political debate following the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.
Jadhav stated that despite the ongoing political divide within the Shiv Sena, the mayor’s position in Mumbai holds deep emotional and historical significance for the party.
He emphasised that allowing the Thackeray faction to hold the mayor’s office during the birth centenary year of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray would be a meaningful gesture and a tribute to the party’s legacy.
The appeal comes at a time when the BJP–Shinde Shiv Sena alliance has emerged with a numerical advantage in the BMC, giving them the capacity to decide the mayoral candidate.
However, Jadhav urged Shinde to use his influence within the Mahayuti alliance and convince the BJP to support the Thackeray faction’s nominee instead of staking a claim for the post themselves.
According to Jadhav, such a move would go beyond political calculations and reflect respect for the sentiments of traditional Shiv Sena supporters. He argued that denying the Thackeray faction the mayor’s post during such a symbolic year would be deeply hurtful to party workers and followers who continue to associate Shiv Sena’s identity with Balasaheb Thackeray and his family.
The mayor’s election has become a crucial political flashpoint in Mumbai, with both factions of Shiv Sena seeking to assert legitimacy and moral authority.
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