'Every Election An Acid Test': Uddhav Thackeray Asks Shiv Sainiks To Gear Up For Civic Polls

Last Updated:September 18, 2025, 13:42 IST

Thackeray said several leaders who had shifted to Eknath Shinde camp were keen to return but made it clear that the future of the rebels lay in the hands of the party’s workers

Uddhav Thackeray also accused the ruling Mahayuti government of targeting him personally instead of addressing public issues. (PTI)

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday tried to lift the spirits of his party workers, reminding them that every election they have fought since the late 1990s has been a tough battle, yet they have managed to win through unity and determination.

Speaking at a meeting of branch heads and party office-bearers in Mumbai, Thackeray said the upcoming civic polls would once again test their strength and resolve. With a mix of encouragement and caution, he set the tone for the party’s election campaign, urging Shiv Sainiks to work on the ground with confidence and faith in their ability to win.

According to sources, Thackeray took direct aim at leaders who shifted to deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde’s camp during the split in 2022. He said many of them are now feeling disappointed and suffocated in their new political home and had started sending messages about returning. “They say they are being pushed aside, that they are not getting space," he told the gathering. But Thackeray was firm that such returns would not be automatic. “Their places are now taken by loyal Shiv Sainiks. Tickets are no longer available for them. If they come back at all, it will only be with your consent," he said, making it clear that the future of the rebels lay in the hands of the party’s grassroots workers.

Shifting the conversation back to election preparations, Thackeray called the coming polls an “acid test" for his leadership and the party. He recalled that when Shiv Sena started contesting municipal elections under him in 1997, every election was labelled a test of survival. “But time and again, with your support and people’s trust, we managed to prove ourselves," he said.

Thackeray reminded the gathering how the party once reached 103 seats, crediting that success entirely to the hard work of ordinary Shiv Sainiks. He urged them to take the same spirit to the voters this time, by speaking about the development work done during Sena’s tenure and by focusing on local issues that matter to citizens. “Go to the people with confidence. Tell them what we have done and how it has changed their lives. That is our strength," he said.

Thackeray also accused the ruling Mahayuti government of targeting him personally instead of addressing public issues. He alleged that recent rallies of the alliance made it clear that their main goal was to finish the Thackeray brand. “They are not attacking Congress or NCP. Their only target is Uddhav Thackeray," he said.

Calling the election a fight not just for seats but also for identity and credibility, he appealed to his workers to approach the contest with calm determination. He asked them to begin ground-level work immediately, strengthen their bond with voters, and prepare to face the campaign with the unity and discipline that has carried the party through in the past.

The Shiv Sena, which has dominated the Mumbai municipal corporation for over 20 years, will face a bigger challenge this time as the party has split and most of the corporators are with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. As per sources, Uddhav Thackeray is conducting meetings related to BMC polls everyday with his party leaders and one such meeting happened late on Tuesday evening with party branch heads and office bearers. On Thursday, the former chief minister is likely to meet Shiv Sena UBT’s Mumbai unit’s women wing’s leaders, take stock of the situation, and further guide them about the election.

Shiv Sena has always relied on its network of grassroots party workers who conduct door-to-door campaign for the party. This time too, Uddhav Thackeray has shown faith in his grassroots workers and asked them to reach out to people with the work they have done.

News politics 'Every Election An Acid Test': Uddhav Thackeray Asks Shiv Sainiks To Gear Up For Civic Polls

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