New Delhi: The Congress is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi for now but will convert the present political crisis to restrengthen the grand old party in Maharashtra. The MVA, comprising Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress came into existence in 2019 when it formed a government headed by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
However, since the fall of the MVA government recently, there has been speculation in the political circles that the Congress was contemplating exiting the alliance. “The reports that we are exiting the MVA are incorrect. That discussion has not taken place. As of now, we are with the MVA and will continue to be in the alliance. We will take stock of the situation at the right time,” AICC in-charge of Maharashtra HK Patil said in an exclusive interview to ETV Bharat.
The present crisis, said the veteran, had presented an opportunity before the Congress to regroup in the state it once ruled. “The circumstances have changed now. The Congress will focus on re-strengthening the party. We will make the fall of the government an opportunity for us,” said Patil. The veteran further said that the grand old party recently increased its digital membership through a special drive to 40 lakh which showed the people were interested in the Congress.
“Various party activities are being planned across the state,” said Patil, indicating the mood in the party’s Maharashtra unit. The Congress stand assumes significance as it comes amid the ongoing bitter power tussle between the two Shiv Sena factions - one led by chief minister Eknath Shinde and the other by Uddhav Thackeray. Both Shinde and Thackeray claim to be the real custodians of the Shiv Sena formed by Uddhav’s father late Bala Saheb Thackeray.
Shinde recently toppled the MVA government with help from the BJP. In 2019, Uddhav, a long-standing ally of the BJP, ditched the saffron party to join hands with NCP and Congress. The Congress, which had just 44 MLAs in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, had been initially reluctant to support a Sena leader as chief minister but was later convinced by NCP boss Sharad Yadav, who played king-maker.
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Since then, both the Congress leaders and lawmakers never felt comfortable within the ruling alliance and kept raising their concerns before the high command in Delhi. Maharashtra Congress leaders were miffed that the grand old party, once a dominant player in Maharashtra politics, was gradually losing ground to both Sena and NCP but was compelled to stay in the alliance.
“That shackle is no more,” a senior state unit functionary said, adding “we can still be committed to the MVA but would be free to pursue our growth plans.” However, before the Congress sets out to expand the party in Maharashtra, the grand old party needs to set its own house in order as the party continues to be plagued with infighting which often costs it dear at crucial elections and key legislative tests.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who is miffed over cross-voting by some party MLAs in the June 20 MLC polls and as many as 11 MLAs being absent during the crucial July 4 trust vote of chief minister Eknath Shinde, has deployed veteran Mohan Prakash to probe the lapses and submit a report to her soon.
Mohan Prakash, who has been AICC in-charge of Maharashtra, was sent to Mumbai after present in charge HK Patil briefed Sonia Gandhi over the developments on July 7. Though all the 11 MLAs have been given a show-cause notice by the party, three of them had taken permission from Patil, explaining why they would not be able to attend the trust vote.
However, the conduct of the remaining 8 MLAs, who claimed they had got late for the trust vote and were not allowed to go inside the House as the doors had been bolted, needs to be investigated, said party insiders. Before that, the Congress managers had suffered a jolt when cross-voting by seven lawmakers, who voted in the MLC polls on June 20, led to the defeat of party nominee Chandrakant Handore, state working president. The other Congress nominee, Mumbai unit chief Bhai Jagtap, however, won.
Ideally, both Handore, a Dalit leader, and Jagtap, a Maratha leader, should have won as the Congress managers had been assured support of the other two alliance partners Sena and NCP for the MLC polls. The Congress had got two MLC seats as per an arrangement within the MVA and party veteran Mallikarjun Kharge had discussed the issue threadbare with both then chief minister Uddhav and Sharad Pawar.
The Congress had just 44 MLAs which was not enough to ensure victory of the two candidates, said party insiders. In April, around 20 Congress lawmakers met party chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi to register their complaints against the Sena and NCP as well as their own senior leaders. Most of the complaints related to the allocation of development funds in their areas and clearance of developmental projects.
