January 11th 2025.
In a recent press conference, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut made a unilateral announcement that their party will be contesting the upcoming nagar panchayat, nagar parishad, zilla parishad, and municipal corporation elections on their own. Raut stated that they will be fighting for their party's growth and the workers' rights, and will not be forming an alliance with any other political party.
Raut explained that the decision to go solo was made after discussions with party chief Uddhav Thackeray and considering the feedback from party workers from across the state. He emphasized the importance of giving the workers a chance to contest in local body elections, as they often do not get the opportunity to do so in bigger elections like the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. This, according to Raut, has hindered the party's growth and needs to be rectified.
The announcement has caused quite a stir in the Maharashtra political circle, as it might lead to the disbandment of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which had joined forces during the previous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. Raut's statement also challenges the dominance of the MahaYuti, as Shiv Sena's stronghold over the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation with a budget of almost Rs 40,000 crore is crucial for their relevance in the political landscape.
Raut's decision comes after former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hinted at an alliance between Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP to retain the MahaYuti's victory march. However, Raut's announcement indicates that Shiv Sena is ready to go solo in the upcoming local and civic body elections, in a bid to rejuvenate and revive their party.
While some party leaders have welcomed Raut's decision, others, like NCP-SP legislature party leader Jitendra Awhad, have expressed their reservations. Awhad stated that if the Thackeray group has made a decision, it should be respected, but also added that Raut should have discussed it with other party leaders before making the announcement.
The decision to go solo is seen as a response to the Congress party's arrogance and disregard for regional parties. Raut and state Congress chief Nana Patole had differing opinions on seat sharing, which caused a delay in finalizing the alliance and coming up with a joint poll strategy to take on the MahaYuti. NCP-SP MP Dr. Amol Kolhe had also criticized both Shiv Sena and Congress for their stagnant approach and urged the party workers to work with renewed enthusiasm to win the upcoming elections.
On the other hand, veteran Congress legislator Vijay Wadettiwar blamed the delay in seat allocation for the MVA's failure to plan joint campaigns and programs for the elections. He stated that if the stalemate had been resolved earlier, the alliance would have had a better chance at winning. However, he also acknowledged that there were multiple reasons for the delay, including the time spent on seat allocation.
In conclusion, Shiv Sena's decision to contest the upcoming local and civic body elections on their own has caused ripples in the political landscape of Maharashtra. It remains to be seen how this will impact the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the MahaYuti, and whether Shiv Sena's gamble will pay off in the end.
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