January 11th 2025.
Nagpur: The recent state Assembly elections have brought about a blame game within the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, causing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena to announce its decision to contest the upcoming local body polls on its own. This move has raised questions about the unity of the opposition bloc. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut explained that the party's decision was based on the lack of opportunities for its workers in an alliance and the need for organizational growth.
The Uddhav Thackeray-led party had previously announced its support for Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi Assembly elections, which was seen as a snub to the Congress. In response to Raut's announcement, a Congress leader stated that the party's central leadership would decide on whether they too would contest the local body polls alone or not.
The Sharad Pawar-led NCP expressed concerns that the Sena's decision would have an impact on the poll prospects of all three parties in the MVA coalition. Raut clarified that the INDIA bloc and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances were only meant for the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, and not for the local body polls. He further explained that in an alliance, individual parties' workers do not get opportunities and that this hampers the party's organizational growth. Therefore, the Shiv Sena has decided to contest the local body polls, including for the Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and other municipal corporations, zilla parishads, and panchayats, on its own strength.
Raut added that Uddhav Thackeray had given the party indications that it should go solo. In the recently held Assembly polls, the Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP won 230 out of 288 seats, while the MVA's tally shrank to only 46 seats, with Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP contributing 20, 16, and 10 seats, respectively. Raut blamed the Congress for the lack of coordination within the MVA.
He also criticized Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar for indulging in a blame game over the MVA's defeat in the Assembly polls, stating that those who do not believe in consensus and compromise have no right to be in an alliance. Raut further revealed that the INDIA bloc did not hold a single meeting after the Lok Sabha election results were declared, and the party was unable to even appoint a convenor. He expressed his disappointment at the Congress for not taking the initiative to convene a meeting as the largest party in the alliance.
Jitendra Awhad, the NCP group leader in the legislative Assembly, stated that they could not stop the Shiv Sena if they were keen on going solo, as they cannot force anyone to stay in an alliance. He added that the decision to contest alone would not be beneficial for any of the three MVA parties. NCP working president Supriya Sule clarified that parties usually contest local body polls on their own, as these elections are for the party workers. She questioned what the party workers would do if they contested the polls as per convenience, stating that they are not just meant to lift mattresses for leaders.
Congress MLA from Nagpur, Vikas Thakre, stated that if Shiv Sena chooses to go solo, the Congress is also prepared to do the same. However, Congress senior leader Manikrao Thakre clarified that the party's central leadership would decide on the local body polls. Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad alleged that the party was given a raw deal in seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in alliance with the Shiv Sena. She stated that the sentiment of Congress workers, who feel they should get more opportunities in civic polls, would be conveyed to the central leaders who will decide on the party's strategy for these elections.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis downplayed the Shiv Sena's announcement, stating that his government's focus was on the progress and development of Maharashtra, and they were not concerned about the MVA's unity. He expressed confidence in people's support in all upcoming elections. This announcement by the Shiv Sena to go solo in local body elections comes amidst rumors of the party softening its criticism of BJP in recent days, and Fadnavis' statement that anything can happen in politics. He stated that Uddhav Thackeray was not a "shatru" (enemy) and even speculated about a future alliance between BJP and NCP. However, he emphasized that he was not suggesting that this should happen.
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