Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut has announced that the party will contest the upcoming local body elections independently. This includes elections for major municipal corporations such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, and Nagpur.
Addressing the media in Mumbai, Raut explained that the decision was aimed at evaluating the party's organizational strength. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray advocated for independent contests to create opportunities for party workers who often miss out on running in Lok Sabha and state assembly elections.
Before parting ways with the BJP in 2022, the Shiv Sena had dominated the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), India's richest municipal body, for a remarkable 25 years, from 1997 to 2022. Following the conclusion of the BMC's term in March 2022, the civic body has been managed by an appointed administrator. Elections for the BMC are anticipated later this year.
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