MUMBAI, Jan. 12 -- In a last-ditch bid to consolidate the Marathi vote ahead of the civic polls on January 15, the Thackeray brothers appeared together for the first time at Shivaji Park in two decades, urging Marathi-speaking citizens to back them to "save Mumbai" and retain political relevance in the city. Addressing the public rally together amid a sea of supporters, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of deliberately fuelling divisions under the guise of Hindutva while allegedly working to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra. He said Marathi people were being "kept busy fighting each other". Uddhav invoked the legacy of Shahir Amar Shaikh, who was active in the Samyukta Maharashtra movement, to underline the contribution of the Muslim community in Mumbai and the state. "His songs inspired Maharashtrians to fight for Mumbai's inclusion in Maharashtra," Uddhav said, while taking a swipe at what he called the BJP's selective Hindutva. Uddhav also said, "When I aligned with Congress they said I abandoned Hindutva. So what did you do in Ambernath," he remarked in reference to Congress councillors being part of BJP led front to win power in Ambernath municipal council. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj Thackeray, speaking before his cousin, described the election as the "last battle" for the Marathi manoos in Mumbai. "If you make a mistake now, you will lose the chance to remain relevant," he warned, appealing to Marathi-speaking voters across party lines to support the Thackeray brothers' stand. Sunday's rally at Shivaji Park carried a strong symbolic weight. The maidan is closely associated with the Shiv Sena, founded in 1966 by Uddhav's father Bal Thackeray. Supporters of both parties filled the ground as the brothers shared the dais for a cause centred on Marathi identity. "We will not allow Mumbai to be broken and looted. As per the Thackeray family tradition, we have come together to fight," Uddhav said, urging unity among Marathi voters. He alleged that while the BJP was willing to ally with leaders such as Nitish Kumar and Chandrababu Naidu, it was unwilling to accept the existence of Shiv Sena (UBT) because it would resist any attempt to "take away Mumbai". Referring to Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai's recent remark describing Mumbai as an "international city" rather than a Maharashtrian one, Uddhav claimed it had exposed the BJP's "real agenda". "We renamed Bombay as Mumbai. I fear they will rename it again," he said. Responding to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's challenge to show a speech by Uddhav on development, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief countered that he would offer a higher reward for any speech by Fadnavis that did not invoke "Hindu versus Muslim" rhetoric. Raj Thackeray alleged a long-term plan to economically sideline Mumbai, pointing to projects involving the Adani Group. He claimed developments such as the proposed Vadhavan Port and the Navi Mumbai International Airport would divert cargo and air traffic away from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, weakening the city's economic importance. He also screened a video presentation tracing the Adani Group's growth since 2014. Both leaders cautioned party workers to remain vigilant against bogus voters, with Raj urging cadres to act on the spot if they spotted duplicate entries. At the same time, he asked the Marathi community to avoid conflicts, calling them distractions from what he described as a larger attempt to erase their political and cultural presence in Mumbai. Uddhav also reached out to non-Marathi residents, saying Shiv Sainiks had always helped people in distress without asking about language or identity, and insisted the fight was to protect Mumbai and Maharashtra, not to divide its people....