Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray expressed disbelief and confusion after the opposition alliance, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), suffered a significant defeat in the state elections, a result starkly contrasting with their performance in the Lok Sabha elections just months earlier. Thackeray, visibly shaken by the unexpected turn of events, questioned how such a drastic shift in voter sentiment could occur in a mere four months.
“I can’t believe that Maharashtra, which listened to me as head of the family during the COVID crisis, would turn against me like this,” Thackeray said, addressing the media. “How is it possible that the ruling alliance could secure so many seats in such a short period? Where did they find the magic for this outcome?” he added.
Thackeray went on to argue that MVA rallies had garnered larger crowds than those of the ruling alliance. “People listened to us, not to Modi or Amit Shah,” he remarked. “The people said they didn’t need to listen to them. Did they decide to vote without hearing us?” In a sarcastic tone, he questioned the credibility of the result, saying, “How can an empty chair turn into votes?”
However, Thackeray refrained from addressing one of the most contentious issues raised by the victorious alliance—whether the true Shiv Sena had been decided. “For years, we have not received a decision on the party name and symbol,” he said, shifting the focus to the ongoing court case over the matter.
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The Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, which had framed the election as a battle to define the “real Shiv Sena,” was quick to declare victory as an ideological triumph. Thackeray, however, responded with a different perspective. He pointed to the BJP’s nationwide strategy, citing BJP leader JP Nadda’s earlier statement about creating “one party, one nation.” “It seems they are moving in that direction,” Thackeray observed, urging people not to lose hope.
Despite some claims that the results were influenced by Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Thackeray declined to blame the technology. “Some are suggesting EVMs are behind this victory. If people have accepted the system, I have no problem with that,” he said.
Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 20 out of the 89 seats it contested, far behind the Shinde faction, which won 57 of 80 seats. Meanwhile, the ruling alliance, known as Mahayuthi, consisting of Shinde’s Shiv Sena, Ajit Pawar’s faction of the NCP, and the BJP, is ahead with 236 seats out of Maharashtra’s 288. This defeat follows a strong showing by the MVA in the Lok Sabha elections just six months earlier, a result that many had interpreted as a clear rejection of the political upheaval over the last two years, including the split within Shiv Sena and the subsequent collapse of Thackeray’s government.
