Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had described the defections as “unacceptable” and said a complaint had been lodged with Raj. He said the Shiv Sena was an ideology rooted in championing the cause of the Marathi people and could never be erased. “The BJP is wrong if it thinks it can finish the Shiv Sena (UBT). The Shiv Sena (UBT) is not a party but an idea,” he said. The BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde) alliance secured 118 seats, while the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS combine managed only 71 of the total 227 seats in the BMC.

Source: The Telegraph January 24, 2026 00:12 UTC