Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday visited Shiv Sena Bhavan after nearly two decades, describing the moment as emotionally overwhelming as he returned to the party headquarters he once called home.
Speaking to reporters at the Sena Bhavan, Raj Thackeray said the experience brought back a flood of memories. “It feels like I’ve come out of jail after 20 years, because everyone keeps asking me how it feels to be back here after all this time,” he remarked.
Recalling his long association with the building, Raj said his memories of Shiv Sena Bhavan date back several decades. “I have very fond memories of this place. It would take days to recount them,” he said, referring to events from as far back as 1977, the year the building was constructed.
He also recalled a Janata Party procession in 1997 during which stones were allegedly hurled at the Sena headquarters. “Our Shiv Sainiks gave a befitting reply by throwing tube lights from above,” he said.
Raj Thackeray’s return to Sena Bhavan comes at a politically significant time. Nearly 20 years after quitting the undivided Shiv Sena following differences with his cousin Uddhav Thackeray and forming the MNS, the two leaders announced a pre-poll alliance in December for the upcoming civic body elections in Maharashtra.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS have joined hands for the Mumbai municipal corporation elections scheduled for January 15, along with polls to 28 other civic bodies. In Mumbai, the alliance also includes the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, marking a rare political reunion ahead of a high-stakes civic contest.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election is particularly crucial for Uddhav Thackeray, who is looking to regain control of India’s richest civic body. The undivided Shiv Sena had ruled the BMC continuously from 1997 until 2022.
Elections to 29 civic bodies, including the 227-member BMC, will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for the following day. The ruling Mahayuti alliance has already secured 68 seats unopposed across these civic bodies, adding to the political stakes as campaigning intensifies.