Mumbai: Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the continuation of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance and counter the rule of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state and Centre.
On Wednesday, top NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Sunil Tatkare met Thackeray, and on Thursday, the four, along with Dilip Walse-Patil met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar at his Silver Oak residence. At the closed-door meeting, which was held only among the top leaders of the NCP, it was decided that the alliance must go all out in its fight against the current state government as well as the BJP-led government at the Centre.
“[Uddhav Thackeray] was positive about forging an alliance in the upcoming local body elections. However, it also depends upon the views of the district units of the respective parties. We also need to have a round of discussion with Congress on this,” Ajit Pawar said.
The MVA, which also includes the Congress, was in power in the state since 2019 till a rebellion by Sena leader Eknath Shinde and 39 other Sena lawmakers, led to the fall of the government in June. Shinde, who leads a faction of Sena leaders, is battling Thackeray in the Supreme Court over control of the Shiv Sena and its party symbol. Shinde formed the new government with the BJP and took oath as chief minister on June 30, with BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy.
“Accept the fact that we are in the opposition and start working accordingly. Raise the issues directly related to the people by holding media interactions and protests,” Sharad Pawar reportedly said in Thursday’s meeting with his party leaders.
The coalition partners’ decision gains significance in the backdrop of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar’s move to snap ties with long-time National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner BJP in order to form a government with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress in the state.
Thursday’s editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana noted “If Nitish Kumar has taken this courageous step considering the arithmetic for 2024 (the Lok Sabha elections), then all opposition parties in the country must welcome it.” Thackeray took on the editorship of the paper after its former editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this month over alleged financial irregularities and kickbacks in connection with a redevelopment scam. Thursday’s editorial warned the BJP that its hubris about return to power in 2024 could come to naught.
“Like in Maharashtra, the BJP high-command in Delhi was conspiring to carve out a ‘Shinde group’ in Bihar to checkmate Nitish Kumar. They had started the work of gnawing into (the JDU) using Nitish Kumar’s ‘[Eknath] Shinde’ [former union minister] RCP Singh, but Nitish Kumar has trounced the BJP with his moves,” the editorial stated. It added that the BJP’s moves to cut the JDU to size had boomeranged and noted that this had happened when the BJP and Eknath Shinde had finally expanded their cabinet in Maharashtra.
Meanwhile, the Congress opposed Shiv Sena’s decision to make Ambadas Danve as leader of opposition in the legislative council. State Congress chief Nana Patole said that the MVA was not a natural coalition. “A discussion among MVA partners was necessary while appointing the opposition leader but it was not done. Discussion is more important than who is getting what,” Patole said.
“The NCP leadership is of the view that Thackeray needs to be convinced as to why their unity is necessary for their own survival,” an NCP leader, who did not want to be named, said.
The leader said the legal battle in the Supreme Court over disqualification of rebel MLAs and who should control the Shiv Sena is likely to continue for a long time but if the three parties stick together and contest the polls together, then the political advantage will also be on their side in Maharashtra.
Political experts also believe that the opposition parties can fight with the BJP only if they will remain united. Prakash Bal, a political analyst said, “NCP’s attempt to remain the MVA intact is a good move. They need to stand together and only then there will be a real fight in Maharashtra.”
(With inputs from Dhaval Kulkarni)
