India, Dec. 17 -- A day after the civic election schedule was announced by the State Election Commission (SEC), Thackeray cousins, Uddhav and Raj, fast-tracked their efforts to finalise their electoral alliance. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday that the alliance is expected to be announced within a week.

Leaders from both parties - the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) - met twice on Tuesday to lock details of the alliance. They have decided not to engage with the Congress, which will be going solo in the polls. The Congress has said, in no uncertain terms, that it doesn't want to team up with the MNS due to its violent agitations against North Indian "migrants" in t...