BJP's Mayoral Play in Mumbai: Will Thackeray Alliance Break?

• BJP, with 89 corporators, is set to elect its own mayor in Mumbai, despite pressure from Eknath Shinde's faction for a shared term.
• Speculation is rife that MNS corporators might support BJP's mayoral candidate, potentially fracturing the Thackeray brothers' alliance.
• This comes after Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray had previously united against BJP on Marathi identity issues in municipal elections.
• The Thackeray faction secured 65 seats and MNS 6 seats, making them the second-largest bloc after BJP.
• Despite Mahayuti (BJP, Shinde faction, Ajit Pawar faction) having a clear majority of 121 seats (majority mark 114), BJP's potential MNS support raises questions.

Why It Matters: BJP's mayoral bid in Mumbai, potentially backed by MNS, could disrupt the Thackeray brothers' political alliance.