Mumbai: In a significant move, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday announced that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will jointly contest the upcoming elections for 288 seats. He made the remarks at a press conference in the presence of BJP leaders Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat and SP chief Sharad Pawar.
His remarks came in the backdrop of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Nana Patole saying that the party will contest the state assembly elections alone. Patole’s one-sided remarks have drawn fierce criticism within the party. Sources said the party’s stand is that since the MVA’s experiment was successful in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the alliance should continue in the state assembly elections too.
A senior leader told FPJ, “Thanks to the MVA, there is a chance that anti-BJP votes will be consolidated in the assembly elections. There is no reason why the tried-and-true formula should not be applied in state assembly elections too. Patole is just stating his opinion.”
It has been reported that some BJP leaders plan to lodge a complaint against the party leadership over Patole’s comments. Calls for his removal had been heard even before the LS elections, but the party’s central leadership decided to wait until after the elections. Incidentally, Patole, who has quit the BJP, was conspicuously absent from Saturday’s press conference.
The MVA was formed after a rift emerged between the BJP and the united Shiv Sena over the chief minister’s post following the 2019 state assembly elections. Uddhav claimed he had been promised the chief minister’s post, but the BJP denied any such promise. Uddhav quit the saffron alliance and formed an MVA government with Sharad Pawar and others, but it was toppled by the BJP under Devendra Fadnavis.
Over the past few years, Uddhav has built a good relationship with Sharad Pawar and other leaders of the Indian National Congress. This friendship has permeated the party cadre and helped the MVA perform well in the assembly elections. Pawar, 83, is determined to bring the MVA back to power and has begun preparations for the elections.
He defeated his nephew and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar in the recent elections and also defeated Pawar’s wife Sunetra in the prestigious Baramati constituency.
Uddhav, meanwhile, is keen not only to reclaim the chief ministerial position but also to give a political boost to his son Aditya, who has come a long way politically. “They have taken everything from me – my MPs, the party’s name and symbol,” he said in an emotional statement.
He is now motivated as the MVA has proved that the BJP is not invincible.The MVA’s strong performance is one of the main reasons for the Indian Union’s surprisingly good performance in the LS elections.
Published: Sunday, June 16, 2024 02:31 AM IST
