Uddhav Sena faces uncertainty after setback

After the Assembly polls setback, Sena UBT) leaders are reconsidering alliance decisions and strategy shifts.

- BADAR BASHIR

After a significant loss in Maharashtra Assembly elections, where the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray won only 20 Assembly seats, the future of the party is seen to be challenging as the leaders within the Shiv Sena (UBT) have started to question the party's acceptance among their traditional vote bank in the state, and are contemplating to reconsider their position in the alliance.

Shiv Sena, founded by Balasaheb Thackeray, has always played a major role in Maharashtra politics.

However, after the split (led by Eknath Shinde) and Uddhav Thackeray's rebuilding of the party, the Uddhav-led faction (considered the succeeding group of Balasaheb's legacy) faced its first setback.

The party could only win 20 Assembly seats and also received less than 10% vote share in the 2024 Assembly elections. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the party had obtained around 16% vote share and pocketed 56 Assembly seats.