India, Jan. 27 -- Shiv Sena (UBT) announced on Monday a shift in its approach to contesting local body elections. While the party intends to contest independently in Mumbai, decisions regarding other cities will depend on the local political landscape and party strength.

At a public rally in Mumbai on Thursday, followed by a meeting with the party's district chiefs at Shiv Sena Bhavan, Uddhav Thackeray signalled a more flexible strategy. He indicated the party might consider alliances in areas where its strength is insufficient. "The decision to go solo in the polls will not be based on the emotions of party workers but on the ground reality of the party's strength," Thackeray stated.

Sanjay Raut, the party MP, elaborated on this stance...