The Shiv Sena (UBT) is poised to contest in the imminent Maharashtra legislative council elections, with chief Uddhav Thackeray asserting the opposition’s confidence in their electoral strategy. The biennial polls, scheduled for July 12, will be the first since the significant splits within Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in recent years.
The elections serve as a precursor to the pivotal assembly polls slated for October. ‘We will field a candidate because there are 11 seats available, and every opposition party, including NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and Congress, can secure one seat each. Our votes are secured,’ said Thackeray, hinting at possible cross-voting scenarios.
Despite the complexities, Thackeray remains confident in the opposition’s calculations. Notably, former instances such as the 2022 council polls, where cross-voting led to unexpected results, underscore the unpredictability of such elections. The political climate remains tense, with the ruling alliance under pressure to maintain its MLA base post-Lok Sabha elections.
