India, June 16 -- Amid a steady stream of defections, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday urged his party's grassroots cadre in Mumbai to prepare for the upcoming civic elections by actively reaching out to voters and highlighting the party's three-decade performance in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Thackeray also indicated that the party would invoke the theme of 'Marathi pride' in the high-stakes BMC polls.

Addressing a meeting of shakha pramukhs (local unit heads) at Shiv Sena Bhavan in Dadar on Sunday, Thackeray made an emotive appeal to his loyalists.

"We must ensure that the saffron flag flies once again over the BMC," he told the gathering. Taking a swipe at the BJP's national leadership, he said, "Do...