Thackeray said Maharashtra’s “language, land and identity” were under threat and urged migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to understand that Hindi should not be imposed in the state. Clarifying that he was not opposed to any language, he said resistance would follow any attempt at forced imposition. “If your land and language are gone, you will be finished,” he told supporters, describing the upcoming civic elections as a decisive moment for the “Marathi manoos”.
The remarks come less than a week before voting for 29 municipal corporations, including the BMC, scheduled for January 15, with results to be declared on January 16. More than 15,000 candidates are contesting across the state, making the elections a key political test.
Escalating his attack, Thackeray alleged that certain political forces remained resentful that Mumbai became part of Maharashtra rather than Gujarat at the time of state reorganisation. He claimed these forces were now attempting to gain control over Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region through major corporate interests, particularly the Adani Group. According to him, increased corporate involvement in infrastructure and real estate projects posed a risk to Maharashtra’s autonomy over its capital.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who also addressed the rally, echoed the criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He accused the BJP of repeatedly raising Hindu-Muslim and Marathi–non-Marathi issues before elections and claimed that, for the sake of Marathi people and Maharashtra’s interests, opposition parties had set aside past differences. Uddhav alleged that the BJP’s politics had shifted from “nation first” to “corruption first” and said his party would not allow Mumbai to be “taken over”.
Both leaders accused the BJP of attempting to link Mumbai economically and politically with Gujarat through projects such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and the proposed Vadhavan port, claims the BJP has previously denied.
Reacting sharply, BJP leader K. Annamalai dismissed the allegations and criticised the Thackerays, saying threats and personal attacks would not deter him. He said he would visit Mumbai despite warnings and rejected claims of intimidation.
With language, migration and control over Mumbai emerging as central themes, the BMC campaign is expected to intensify in the coming days, sharpening political divisions in the state.
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