Shiv Sena (UBT) Calls Regime Change Inevitable, Accuses BJP of Clinging to Power

Mumbai, October 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has described a change of government as an inevitable part of the democratic process, accusing the BJP-led establishment of retaining power despite what it called the political verdict of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

In an editorial published in its mouthpiece Saamana on Monday, the party alleged that the change had effectively been signalled by the 2024 election results, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders had managed to remain in power through what it described as manipulation involving Election Commissioners, including Gyanesh Kumar.

The editorial linked the demand for a political transition to protests around the Tiranga, or the national flag, claiming that opposition to the movement had intensified calls for a change in government. It argued that a government perceived by its opponents as authoritarian could not indefinitely withstand public discontent.

“Taking false oaths in the name of the Constitution will no longer be of any use,” the editorial said, asserting that political change was a natural feature of democratic evolution.

Defending the opposition’s demand, the Thackeray camp rejected the ruling side’s characterisation of protests as anarchy or a mere power struggle. It argued that peaceful agitation and efforts to replace an incumbent government were legitimate democratic activities.

The editorial cited several historical political developments to support its argument, including the merger of the Jan Sangh into the Janata Party during the Emergency, V.P. Singh’s rebellion against then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the formation of the Janata Dal. It also referred to opposition campaigns against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, claiming that these movements were similarly driven by the objective of changing the government.

Drawing international parallels, the editorial referred to US President Donald Trump’s stated objective of bringing about regime change in Iran, arguing that even major powers could fail to achieve such political transitions.

The article maintained that seeking a change in leadership was neither inherently undemocratic nor evidence of anarchy. Instead, it presented political competition and organised opposition as essential features of a functioning democracy.

The allegations against the BJP and the Election Commission reflect the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s political position and were not independently established in the editorial.