Rival Shiv Sena factions led by Eknath Shinde and Uddhav Thackeray have formed a local alliance in Solapur’s Barshi to consolidate anti-BJP votes ahead of upcoming Zilla Parishad elections.
Rival Shiv Sena factions led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray have come together to contest the Zilla Parishad elections in Barshi taluka of Solapur district, signalling rare unity ahead of the local body polls.
The alliance has been formed to counter the BJP’s growing influence in the region. It brings together the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party led by Ajit Pawar, and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction. The development was confirmed by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA from Barshi, Dilip Sopal, who also appealed to party workers to mobilise in large numbers for an upcoming rally.
However, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the party leadership was not fully briefed about the local-level developments. He said that while there were indications of anti-BJP forces coming together in Barshi, detailed information was still being gathered, and even party chief Uddhav Thackeray was not fully aware of the arrangements.
The Barshi alliance has taken shape against the backdrop of the BJP’s strong recent performance in Solapur district. Following the municipal council election results, the BJP has seen a surge in defections. The party also emerged as the largest party in around 21 of the 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra.
In Barshi, the BJP registered a landslide 18–0 victory in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee elections two months ago and secured control of the municipal council by winning 23 of 42 seats, along with the post of municipal council president.
Former BJP MLA Rajendra Raut, considered close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, continues to lead the BJP front in Barshi. In the last municipal elections, Raut had tactically aligned with Eknath Shinde, but Shinde’s candidates were denied seats, with BJP-backed candidates contesting on the bow-and-arrow symbol. This reportedly caused dissatisfaction among Shinde Sena workers.
To manage cadre discontent and consolidate anti-BJP votes ahead of the Zilla Parishad polls, Dilip Sopal stitched together the multi-party alliance well before the elections. Under the seat-sharing arrangement, Ajit Pawar’s NCP has been allotted three Zilla Parishad seats and eight Panchayat Samiti seats, while the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has been given two Zilla Parishad seats and four Panchayat Samiti seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) has been allotted one Zilla Parishad seat. Barshi has a total of six Zilla Parishad constituencies and twelve Panchayat Samiti groups.
Notably, only one Zilla Parishad seat will see a Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate contesting on the party’s ‘Mashal’ symbol. In the remaining seats, the two NCP factions will contest on the ‘clock’ and ‘trumpet’ symbols, while the Shinde Sena will fight on the ‘bow and arrow’ symbol. Despite different symbols, the parties have arrived at a pre-poll understanding to jointly oppose the BJP.
The Barshi developments follow renewed calls for unity between the two Shiv Sena factions at the state level. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav recently urged Eknath Shinde to support the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena in the BMC elections, invoking Balasaheb Thackeray’s legacy and his dream of a Sena mayor in Mumbai. Parbhani MP Sanjay Jadhav also appealed for Sena reunification, citing the example of the Pawar family factions coming together.
