Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said here on Saturday that his party is sincere and positive about an alliance with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the “sake of Marathi people”, from both its “mind and heart”.

“Uddhavji’s stand regarding an alliance with Raj Thackeray for the sake of the Marathi people is both ‘manase’ and ‘dil se’ (from the mind and the heart),” Raut told media persons here, indulging in word play. He referred to the fact that the abbreviated form of Raj Thackeray-led MNS is pronounced “Manase” in Marathi, which means “from the mind”.

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The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is keen on allying with the Raj Thackeray-led MNS since it aims to perform well in the soon-to-be-announced local civic body and municipal elections in Maharashtra. Uddhav’s Sena is especially eager to retain its control over the extremely cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), whose budget exceeds that of some small states in India.

“I do not believe that the topic of the alliance came up for discussion simply because Raj Thackeray gave an interview. It has been on the minds of the people of Maharashtra. There is public pressure on both the Thackerays, as there is emotional as well as political pressure. If we want to maintain our authority over Mumbai and save Mumbai from the jaws of East India Company Surat Private Limited, whose proprietors are Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis, Narendra Modi and other shareholders, then the Marathi people will have to forget everything and come together,” Sanjay Raut said.

“The Thackeray brand will never end. The owner of East India Company Surat Private Limited is saying that Mumbai cannot be taken over until the Pawar and Thackeray brands end. But I can tell you that the names of Modi, Fadnavis, and Shah will be erased from this country. They have done nothing for the country. Sharad Pawar and Balasaheb Thackeray have done a lot of work. As long as the sun and the moon exist, the names of Balasaheb Thackeray and Sharad Pawar will remain iconic brands. The ropes of the curtain are not in their (BJP’s) hands. The two Thackeray brothers will decide when to reveal the scene behind the curtains,” Raut said.

Raut’s statement on Saturday has come after alleged overtures and offers made by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena to ally with Raj Thackeray and his MNS.

However, Raut’s statement on Saturday is mostly being seen as a response to a statement made by MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande on Thursday that Raj Thackeray would consider an alliance with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena only if a concrete proposal is put forward, noting previous overtures made by the MNS to the Shiv Sena for a tie-up were met with “betrayal”.

“If the Shiv Sena feels an alliance with the MNS is possible, they should come forward with a substantial proposal. Raj Thackeray will take a decision on it,” MNS leader Sandeep Deshpande had said, recalling previous instances when the MNS supposedly initiated tie-up talks, but faced what he called “betrayal”.

Talks about a rapprochement between the two estranged Thackeray cousins received a boost after Raj Thackeray spoke about giving up their differences in a recent interview with filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar. Uddhav Thackeray responded positively within hours of Raj’s statement.