Nagpur: Amid a blame game over the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) rout in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, key constituent Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday announced to contest local bodies polls solo.
The move by the Shiv Sena (UBT) raised a question mark over the opposition bloc's unity. For the record, the MVA suffered a rout in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls as it managed to win only 46 seats. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party won 20 seats, which was more than the Congress (16) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) (10) in the Assembly polls, which were held in November 2024.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut cited the lack of opportunities for workers of respective parties in an alliance and the right to organisational growth as the major considerations for contesting solo. Two days back, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party announced its support for Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections, in a snub to the Congress.
Reacting to Raut's announcement, a Congress leader said the party's central leadership will take a call on whether Congress will contest solo or otherwise in local body polls, the schedule of which is yet to be declared.
Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) said the Sena (UBT)'s decision will impact the poll prospects of all three constituents of the MVA coalition. Raut said the INDIA bloc and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances- comprising Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP)- were meant for Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
"In an alliance, workers of individual parties don't get opportunities, and it hampers organisational growth. We will contest polls to the Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and other municipal corporations, zilla parishads and panchayats on our strength," Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP, told reporters.
Raut further said Uddhav Thackeray gave the party indications that it should go alone. The Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP won 230 of the state’s 288 seats in the recently held assembly polls,
Raut blamed Congress for the lack of coordination in MVA. Hitting out at Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar for indulging in a blame game over the MVA's defeat in the assembly polls, Raut said those who don't believe in consensus and compromise have no right to be in an alliance. He further claimed that the INDIA bloc didn't hold a single meeting after the 2024 Lok Sabha election results were declared.
"We were not able to appoint even a convenor for the INDIA bloc. It isn't good. As the largest party of the alliance, it was the Congress's responsibility to convene a meeting," the Sena (UBT) MP said.
NCP (SP) group leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Jitendra Awhad, said they can't stop Sena (UBT) if it's keen to go alone. "If they wish to go alone, who are we to stop them? We can't take along anyone forcibly. We need to stay together after the assembly poll defeat. I don't think that's the right decision. Poll prospects of all three MVA parties will be impacted," he said.
NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule said the parties always contested local bodies polls solo. "Local bodies' elections are of the party workers. If we contest these polls as per our convenience what should the cadre do; only lift mattresses of leaders?" she asked.
Congress MLA from Nagpur, Vikas Thakre, said if Shiv Sena (UBT) chooses to tread a solitary path, the Congress too is prepared to do so. Congress senior leader and All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Goa, Manikrao Thakre, however, said the party's central leadership will decide on local body polls.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that they were not concerned about the development. "We are not concerned whether MVA remains intact or not. My government is committed to ensuring the progress and development of Maharashtra. I am confident of people's support in all upcoming elections," he told reporters.
The announcement by the Shiv Sena (UBT) to go solo in local body elections comes amid rumours of the party softening its criticism of BJP in recent days and Fadnavis' "anything can happen in politics" remark.
"If you see the developments from 2019 to 2024, I realise never say never and anything can happen. Uddhav Thackeray goes to some other party and Ajit Pawar comes to us. In politics anything can happen though I am not saying this should happen," Fadnavis said in an interview on Friday. He had said that his estranged friend Uddhav Thackeray was not a "shatru" (enemy).
Recently, Saamana - the mouthpiece of Shiv Sena (UBT) had also praised Fadnavis for the work he had done in Naxal-affected areas of Gadchiroli. Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aadiyta, who is a MLA from Worli seat in Mumbai along with other party leaders including Anil Parab and MLA Varun Sardesai had called on Fadnavis.
Then Aaditya also met Fadnavis at his office in Mumbai and raised issues concerning the country's financial capital. Also in a rare gesture, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
For the record, the undivided Shiv Sena has been in power in the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai since 1985.
