Post Bihar setback in polls, Maha Vikas Aghadi hits crisis mode in Maharashtra

Mumbai: A day after the Congress-led INDIA opposition bloc suffered a humiliating defeat in Bihar, the Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra seemed to be in crisis with Congress deciding to go alone in the Mumbai civic polls even as the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-headed NCP (SP) seemed to be on different pages.

The Mumbai civic body involves a fierce contest as the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the richest civic body of India — whose budget is bigger than some small states. 

Nearly six years after the marquee anti-BJP coalition was crafted in the State, differences on many issues are cropping among them particularly on the issue of seat-sharing. 

As of now, the MVA besides Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) include smaller constituents like CPI, CPI (M), PWP. 

What has irked the Congress is Uddhav’s constant asking to include his cousin and MNS President Raj Thackeray in the MVA fold.

The Congress is against Raj’s anti-North Indian migrants and Muslims. 

Even as returns in Bihar were pouring in, Thackeray aide and former Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council mounted an offensive against the Congress saying that it repeated Maharashtra’s mistake in Bihar. 

“The Congress should have learnt its lesson earlier, but it did not learn in Bihar either. Had they announced Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Ministerial face (ahead of the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha polls in 2024) and swiftly finalised the seat-sharing deal, the results would have been different. Yet, they went on to make the same mistake in Bihar,” said Danve on Friday. 

However, at training camp of Congress on Saturday, which presided over by AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala, state Congress President Harshavardhan Sapkal and Mumbai Congress President Prof Varsha Gaikwad, the mood of the party leaders and workers is to go alone in Mumbai. 

“We have left to the local units to decide on the local alliances,” Chennithala said. 

“We have to elect Congress corporators prepare in all 227 seats,” said Mumbai Congress President, Prof Varsha Gaikwad.

“We have told him that the Congress leaders and workers want to go alone along with like minded parties and groups,” she added.

Speaking to reporters in Baramati in Pune district, Pawar evaded a direct answer to queries on possible alliances between the NCP (SP) and the NCP led by his estranged nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for the upcoming elections to local bodies. "I don't know about talks (on alliance between the two factions of NCP) taking place in any districts. As per discussions held in the NCP (SP), local leaders will take a call (on forging alliance) during the Nagar Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti polls," said the Senior Pawar.

Asked about Congress stand, Danve said: “If any party wants to contest the civic polls independently, what can we say, we can’t stop them, it's their prerogative.”