Is Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) breaking away from MVA? Early signs of a split after Maharashtra poll debacle

Cracks have started appearing in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Maharashtra days after its humiliating defeat at the hands of Mahayuti in the Assembly elections. Former Chief Minster Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is reportedly facing a pressure from its leaders to quit the alliance, if at all it wants to secure a safe political future.

The MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena(UBT), the Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP-SP, failed to repeat its Lok Sabha poll performance bagging just 46 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly.

The Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena won just 20 seats, highest among the MVA partners. The Congress got 16 and the NCP-SP won 10 seats.

Most of the Sena MLA's have reportedly urged Thackeray to quit the alliance. The suggestion was put forward during a meeting of the party held on November 25, two days after the result. The party cadre has questioned ‘effectiveness’ of the MVA, according to a report in The Indian Express.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Mahayuti won 230 seats in the 288-member assembly elections. Of these, the BJP alone bagged 132 seats. Among other partners in Mahayuti, Shinde-led Shiv Sena won 57 seats, while Ajit Pawar’s NCP won 41 seats.

Thackerays not keen

Thackeray and other party leaders, including Aaditya Thackeray and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, are, however, keen to continue to be part of the alliance and put up a united front against the BJP. This is primarily because of the upcoming BMC polls, and Eknath Shinde, who rebelled and formed his faction of Shiv Sena, is unlikely to continue as chief minister.

“Many of our MLAs feel it is time for the Shiv Sena (UBT) to forge an independent path, contest elections on its own, and not depend on any alliance. The Shiv Sena was never meant to chase power… It (power) will come naturally when we remain steadfast in our ideology,” Ambadas Danve, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, told The Indian Express, adding that going independent would help the Shiv Sena (UBT) ‘build on its foundation.’

The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance collapsed in 2019 and Uddhav Thackeray joined hands with the Congress and the NCP to form the MVA. Eventually, Thackeray was sworn-in Maharashtra CM.

However, in June 2022, Eknath Shinde, with the support of 39 MLAs, joined hands with the BJP, toppling the MVA dispensation and paving the way for Mahayuti government under Shinde.

The Sena (UBT) polled 9.96 per cent of the votes, about 3 per cent less than the Shinde Sena. In the Lok Sabha elections, the MVA won 30 seats, while the BJP-led NDA bagged only 17 seats of the 48 parliamentary seats in Maharashtra. The Sena (UBT) had polled 16.72 per cent votes in 2024 general elections.