Unexpected alliance: 2 Shiv Senas to join hands for Barshi polls; Uddhav 'doesn't know'

In a new twist to Maharashtra’s political permutations, two bitter rivals— the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) — are ready to join forces for the Zilla Parishad elections in Barshi taluka of Solapur district. However, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the party was not fully aware of the developments.

“We have learned that all parties are uniting against the BJP in Barshi Taluka. Our party chief is also not aware of all the developments in Barshi. We are in the process of collecting information,” Raut told The indian express on Saturday.

Raut’s reaction followed an announcement made by Shiv Sena’s (UBT) Barshi MLA Dilip Sopal. On Saturday, Sopal said a “Maha Aghadi” had been formed in Barshi, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP. He also urged party workers to remain present in large numbers to organize a rally in this regard.

“I will talk to our party MLA and find out what exactly is happening in Barshi,” Raut said.

In Barshi, the BJP is led by former MP Rajendra Raut.

Elections for 12 Zilla Parishads and 125 Panchayat Samitis across Maharashtra will be held on February 5, with counting scheduled for February 7.

Renewed call to the Senas to join

The developments in Barshi follow an appeal made by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav on Thursday, where he said that Eknath Shinde We must show the courage to support Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

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“On the occasion of Balasaheb Thackeray’s birth centenary, the saffron flag of the Sena must fly atop the BMC. Balasaheb’s dream was to see a Sena mayor. Shinde can remain in power at the center and in the state, but he must support the Shiv Sena (UBT) in Bombay”Jadhav had said.

Sanjay Jadhav, Lok Sabha MP from Parbhani, also called for the two Senas to come together, citing the example of the Pawars. “Eknath Shinde must learn from the Pawars and unite the two Senas… The BJP had earlier tried to take down Uddhav Thackeray politically,” he said on Wednesday.

The Shiv Sena split in 2022 following a rebellion within its ranks engineered by Eknath Shinde, who left with 40 MLAs and joined the BJP to form the government.

Manoj Dattatrye More is a senior editor at The Indian Express and has been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career spanning editorial work, investigative reporting and political analysis. Inherited professional experience: Spent his first 16 years in the newsroom before moving into active field reporting. He has written more than 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact journalism: It is widely respected for its “campaign-style” reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road safety: Its decade-long campaign on the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a Rs 23-crore reconstruction project in 2006, which drastically reduced deaths. Environment Protection: His reports against felling of trees on Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam in which doctors were asked to pay bribes for government positions, resulting in them being hired without pay. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More’s recent work largely focuses on the changing political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Changes and Alliances “Ajit Pawar’s NCP continues dominance in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies” (December 21, 2025) – An important report on self-governance election results local, detailing the NCP stronghold in Baramati, Indapur and Lonavala. “BJP arrests 13 former corporators, deals a blow to NCP” (December 20, 2025): Report on major political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as BJP prepares for civic elections. “Congress opts for solo BMC management as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse” (December 17, 2025): Covers breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for Mumbai civic elections. “NCP (SP)’s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere to join BJP” (December 19, 2025) – Details high-profile party changes ahead of municipal elections. 2. Civic and Administrative Responsibility “PCMC draws anger for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before election code” (December 17, 2025) – A research paper on Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute overspending before election restrictions. “93 dead in 76 accidents in five years: Ring road service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 years” (November 16, 2025) – A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to deaths on Pune ring roads. 3. Social and labor issues “As state says, TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE figures say nearly 2,500 were forced to resign” (December 11, 2025): Investigation into conflicting reports on layoffs in IT sector in Maharashtra. “Maharashtra govt decides to ‘downgrade’ Aadhaar cards” (November 30, 2025): Report on the state’s decision to require additional documents along with Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice of Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by an aggressive stance against local “gondaism” (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure: clogged sewers, garbage management and public transportation. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 …Read more

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