Mumbai, Oct 24 (NationPress) In the midst of a campaign launched by opposition parties regarding alleged vote manipulation in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena-UBT is set to hold a meeting with its party officials on October 27 at Worli. The purpose is to assess the preparations and devise a strategy for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. Uddhav Thackeray, the chief of Shiv Sena-UBT, will lead the meeting, where he will likely offer insights on how to meticulously scrutinize the electoral rolls and keep a vigilant eye to prevent "bogus voting" in the forthcoming BMC elections.

Dubbed 'Nirdhar' (resolve) to secure victory in the BMC elections, Thackeray may also reveal the highly-discussed alliance with his cousin, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, as part of a strategic effort to counter the BJP-led Mahayuti.

Sources from the Thackeray camp noted, "The meeting on October 27 is pivotal and will gather party office bearers and shakha pramukhs from across Mumbai. Uddhav Thackeray will provide guidance to ensure that they remain vigilant against electoral roll fraud."

This gathering is particularly significant given the recent warming of relations between Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, stemming from their joint opposition to the Maharashtra government's plan to implement Hindi as a mandatory language from grade one, alongside Marathi. They celebrated a victory rally on July 5 after the state government retracted two resolutions concerning the imposition of Hindi.

Since the July rally, the cousins have met ten times, yet they have not made any formal announcements regarding their alliance for the BMC elections.

Uddhav Thackeray's engagement with office bearers and shakha pramukhs is crucial, especially since Raj Thackeray, on October 19, addressed the MNS's booth-level agents, urging them to monitor the electoral rolls and eliminate "bogus voting".

Raj Thackeray accused the Election Commission of adding 96 lakh bogus voters to Maharashtra's voter list. He urged the poll panel to delay local and civic elections until the electoral rolls are thoroughly "purified" to the satisfaction of all political entities.

Raj Thackeray also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has criticized the Election Commission for bias, stating, "When the BJP was in the opposition, it raised similar allegations against the Election Commission."

Additionally, the meeting scheduled for October 27 coincides with Congress legislator Bhai Jagtap announcing the party's decision to contest the BMC elections independently, opting not to ally with Uddhav Thackeray's party or the MNS.

Likewise, the Samajwadi Party has also declared its intention to compete independently in the BMC elections. These announcements have revealed fractures within the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, particularly between Congress and MNS.