Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 24 (ANI): Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat on Wednesday said that the alliance between the Thackeray brothers was out of 'helplessness' since Congress and Sharad Pawar's party were not ready to join hands with them ahead of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Speaking to reporters here, he said the alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) will not be 'beneficial'. Taking a dig at the Thackeray brothers, Shirsat highlighted the performance of UBT Sena and MNS in the recently concluded Maharashtra local body elections.

'If these people had real strength, why did they suffer such a crushing defeat in the recent municipal council elections? This alliance is formed today due to majboori, as Congress is not with Uddhav Thackeray, and Sharad Pawar is not with them, so they need someone or the other. Just as a drowning man clings to a straw, in the same way, they (Uddhav Thackeray) want to take the support of Raj Thackeray. However, I don't think this will benefit them much,' Shirsat said.

This comes as Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray announced their alliance ahead of the upcoming BMC polls.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that Congress must also come together to defeat the BJP.

'We have urged the Congress many times that if we have to defeat the BJP, we must come together,' Raut told reporters here.

When asked about the seat-sharing formula between UBT Sena and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Raut refused to comment on the same, saying that brothers don't indulge in business.

'In politics, number sharing is a business. Here, there is no business among brothers. This is a family. We will see what we have to do,' he said.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a scathing attack on the Thackeray brothers, saying they had abandoned their ideological viewpoint and were indulging in opportunistic politics.

'Nothing will happen with their coming together. Nobody will join hands with them in Mumbai. Their track record is one of corruption and self-interest. Uddhav and Raj have no ideological positioning. They indulge in the politics of opportunism,' Fadnavis told reporters in Mumbai.

Taking a dig at the Thackeray brothers, the Maharashtra CM said that their alliance was being portrayed as if Russia and Ukraine had joined hands.

Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray called for Marathi unity after his party forged an alliance with Raj Thackeray-led MNS for the upcoming BMC polls, scheduled to be held in January.

While addressing a presser along with Raj Thackeray, Uddhav said, 'During the assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party engaged in negative campaigning. With the slogan 'If we divide, we will be cut,' an attempt was made to sow discord among the Marathi people. Now, if a mistake has been made, its consequences will be serious. If division happens again, we will be finished. Therefore, the Marathi people should not break, should not divide.'

Moreover, the MNS chief assured that the 'mayor of Mumbai will be a Marathi and will be ours'.

The State Election Commission in Maharashtra has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). Polling will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for January 16. (ANI)