Will Uddhav Thackeray align with BJP? The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief says ....

After speculations of former Maharashtra Chief Minister's Shiv Sena (UBT) aligning with BJP are making rounds, Uddhav Thackeray said that he will “never” go with those who tried to finish off Shiv Sena.

Thackeray was addressing the 58th foundation day event of Shiv Sena in Maharashtra's Mumbai.

"We will never go with those who tried to finish off the Shiv Sena," Thackeray declared.

He also accused the BJP of abandoning Hindutva while dubbing the saffron party's Hindutva as “regressive”.

Shiv Sena split in 2022

In 2022, the Shiv Sena was split into two factions following a political crisis in Maharashtra. Around 40 lawmakers including Eknath Shinde from the Shiv Sena, which formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in coalition with two other parties, had reportedly lost trust in Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister.

Eknath Shinde, the now CM, had formed a new party in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party to form the Maharashtra government. The name and symbol of the original Shiv Sena was allotted to Eknath's faction, while Uddhav had to settle for a new name – Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray)

BJP in Maharashtra

Earlier today, Union Minister Piyush Goyal rejected speculations on a change of leadership in the party's Maharashtra unit following BJP's dismal performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

Goyal said that the BJP leadership has no such idea, and no such discussion has taken place in the party's core committee meeting. There were speculations that Rao Saheb Patil would be made the state president.

Maharashtra Lok Sabha poll results

The BJP dipped to nine seats in Maharashtra against 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The vote share stood at 26.18 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, marginally improved its seat share by securing 13 seats in the state.

The Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won seven and one seats respectively, taking the total tally of the NDA to 17. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackrey) got nine seats while the Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar won eight seats.