Mumbai has come a long way since the 1980s. These days, voters do not automatically gravitate towards certain families or names, but to whoever appears most capable of running the city

Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who recently announced their alliance for the upcoming civic polls. PIC/ASHISH RAJE

The reunion of Raj and Uddhav Thackeray has undoubtedly added spice, drama, and excitement to Mumbai’s civic elections. But symbolism and sentiment alone may not be enough to win the high-stakes battle for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In today’s Mumbai, relying primarily on “Marathi asmita” carries clear political limits.

When Balasaheb Thackeray founded the Shiv Sena in 1966, Mumbai was a Marathi-majority city, and the “sons of the soil” message resonated deeply. Balasaheb enjoyed the undisputed leadership of Marathi speakers and near total backing from the community. That political landscape no longer exists. Mumbai’s demographics have changed, the Marathi vote — while still influential — is now divided among different political formations, and Raj and Uddhav do not command the same automatic loyalty that the Sena patriarch once did.

Mumbai itself has also changed as a political city. It is no longer the stronghold that the Thackerays controlled between the late 1980s and 2012. Today’s voter is more........

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