Farm activist Kishore Tiwari has resigned from the Shiv Sena (UBT), expressing strong opposition to a possible alliance between Uddhav Thackeray’s faction and Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).
In a statement released on Monday, Tiwari alleged that the MNS has long been against Hindi-speaking people, linguistic minorities, and Muslims—communities he described as the “main backbone of the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the Opposition INDIA bloc.”
Tiwari said he submitted his resignation from the party’s primary membership on Sunday, adding that he could not support any political alignment that threatens communal and linguistic harmony in Maharashtra.
He claimed that in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, and in at least 10 of them, the support of Hindi-speaking, Muslim, Dalit, and OBC voters played a decisive role.
Tiwari, who was removed as the Sena (UBT) spokesperson earlier this year, said he had previously written an open letter to Uddhav Thackeray urging him not to ally with his cousin Raj Thackeray. He accused the MNS chief of running a divisive agenda against non-Marathi people and Muslims.
“My appeal was ignored, and therefore, for the sake of linguistic unity, social harmony, and national interest, I have decided to part ways with the Shiv Sena (UBT),” Tiwari said.
Previously, Tiwari had been appointed by the state government as head of a task force on farmer suicides and agricultural reforms but was later removed from the post.
