Shiv Sena (UBT) Goes Solo in Maharashtra Civic Polls After Realization of 2019 Blunder

Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to contest the Maharashtra civic polls independently after realizing that their 2019 alliance with Congress was a mistake. The party believes this move will aid in its organizational growth and offer more opportunities to its workers.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to fight the upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra independently, as revealed by state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday. This move comes in light of the party's realization that its decision to part ways with the BJP and partner with Congress in 2019 was a strategic error.

Uddhav Thackeray's led Shiv Sena (UBT), a key player in the Maha Vikas Aghadi which recently faced a significant defeat in the state assembly elections, announced its decision to contest local polls solo earlier in the day. The reasoning behind this decision, according to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, is the lack of advancement opportunities for party workers within an alliance, thus hindering organizational growth.

Bawankule emphasized that the Shiv Sena (UBT) now recognizes its choice of Congress over BJP in 2019 as a misstep, with the party acknowledging that the Congress ideology is not conducive to its future. The political landscape in urban areas like Mumbai, Thane, and Nagpur may see significant shifts with local polls pending since early 2022.

(With inputs from agencies.)