New Delhi [India], January 16 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, Anand Dubey, on Thursday, expressed confidence in the victory of the united Thackeray brothers camp in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections 2026.
Speaking to ANI, Dubey said that the party has gained strength after Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) came in alliance with Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for BMC elections.
"We have gained strength with the Thackerays coming together. We are hopeful that the results will be in our favour," he said.
Moreover, he underscored the party's commitment to the state's development, before and after the elections, terming the party "servants of Mumbai."
"We have been working for over 30 years for the betterment of this state. We hope to win the elections and continue to work for the state. Unlike the BJP, which poses itself as the 'King of Mumbai', we call ourselves the 'Servant of Mumbai'; we do and will continue to serve the state," he stated.
Dubey further hit out at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the delay in the conduct of elections.
"Mumbaikars have been waiting for these elections for 8 years. The BJP never wanted elections to happen. We pressured them to conduct the elections," he stated.
He further amplified Uddhav Thackeray's allegations that the indelible ink used on electors' fingers after voting is being easily removed with nail polish remover and sanitisers, allowing some people to appear to vote multiple times and urged the Election Commission to take action against such electoral malpractices.
"Elections should be fair and unbiased. Today, we also observed issues with the electoral rolls. Several people were not able to cast their vote efficiently. This should be avoided. If there is less voter turnout, then it is the EC's failure," he further stated.
Meanwhile, the exit polls released after the BMC polls on Thursday predicted a victory for the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, with the Thackeray brothers finishing second and Congress and its allies not putting up a strong show.
BMC polls were held for 227 seats, and a party or alliance needs 114 seats for a simple majority.
Maharashtra went to the polls for 29 municipal corporations, including the prestigious Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), with stakes high for the Thackeray brothers and the BJP-Shiv Sena, after the ruling Mahayuti alliance's stupendous victory in the assembly polls last year.
The undivided Shiv Sena was a strong force in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. It won 84 seats in the 2007 polls, while the BJP won 82.
This is the first BMC election following the 2022 split in the Shiv Sena.