Uddhav and Raj Thackeray unveil joint ‘Vachan Nama’ manifesto for BMC elections 2026

Mumbai: Estranged cousins Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray appeared on a joint platform Sunday to release "Vachan Nama," a unified manifesto for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections that pledges a major expansion of Mumbai’s social safety net.

The high-stakes alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) centres on populist urban reforms, including a monthly ₹1,500 "Swabhiman Nidhi" allowance for domestic workers and women from the Koli fishing community. The brothers also promised to eliminate property tax on residential units up to 700 square feet and reform redevelopment rules to guarantee one free parking space per flat.

The joint appearance at Shiv Sena Bhawan marked the first time Raj Thackeray had entered the party’s iconic headquarters since his acrimonious departure in 2005. The manifesto’s cover prominently displays the siblings alongside their late patriarch and Shiv Sena founder, Balasaheb Thackeray.

"This is Jhund shahi (mob rule), not democracy anymore," Uddhav Thackeray told reporters, accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of "stealing" candidates and intimidating the electorate.

Uddhav levelled sharp criticism at Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, alleging he had overstepped his authority by threatening candidates and officials outside of the legislative chamber. "Action must be taken against him; he should be immediately suspended... He tells officers to remove the security of the leaders; he has this authority inside the assembly, not outside. A case should be filed against Rahul Narwekar," he said.

The former Chief Minister also aimed a barb at Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding unfulfilled promises. "We have no comparison with PM Modi, who built Mount Kailash and brought the Ganga to Earth. He was the one who did Samudra Manthan!" Uddhav quipped. "We are still waiting for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue to come out from the sea where PM Modi had done poojan years back."

Raj Thackeray echoed these concerns, questioning the BJP’s silence on candidates being elected unopposed in the current civic polls after the party had previously challenged similar occurrences in West Bengal. "Nobody comes with permanent power; if they think they will never be removed from government, they should rethink," the MNS chief said. "They are turning Maharashtra into UP and Bihar."

On the infrastructure front, the alliance proposed cutting the minimum BEST bus fare from ₹10 to ₹5 and significantly increasing the fleet and route frequency. They also pledged to bolster the city’s healthcare and education systems to provide more affordable services to middle- and lower-income residents.

The BMC elections, alongside 28 other municipal corporation polls across Maharashtra, are scheduled for Jan. 15, with results expected on Jan. 16.

With inputs from ANI