Bereft of new allies after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s intra-party rebellion split the Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction on Friday announced an alliance with the pro-Maratha Sambhaji Brigade.
This decision is being seen as a way for Mr. Thackeray to make good his loss after Mr. Shinde’s revolt has severely depleted his faction of a number of Maratha leaders.
Speaking in Mumbai, Mr. Thackeray, the Sena president and former Chief Minister, stressed that the alliance with the Brigade had not been done keeping in mind electoral gains, but to preserve regional identity and save democracy.
