MVA political quake in Malegaon

The Maha Vikas Aghadi allies - the Congress and Sharad Pawar-led NCP - seem to be on a collision course in Malegaon in Nashik district of Maharashtra.

Malegaon is a Muslim majority town and is a hub of powerlooms and textiles.

Thanks to the development in Malegaon Municipal Corporation (MMC) the political arithmetic has changed.

All the 28 Congress corporators including mayor Tahira Shaikh joined the NCP formally on Thursday.

Her husband and senior corporator Shaikh Rashid too has joined the NCP. Last year, Rashid had tendered his resignation as Malegaon town Congress president.

The corporators joined the NCP in presence of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, state NCP president and water resources and command area development minister Jayant Patil, food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal and minority affairs minister Nawab Malik.

This has left the Congress fuming. “Some people from Congress have joined NCP…similarly some people from NCP will soon be joining us…I am not revealing the details are now….we may be in alliance but after all its politics,” state Congress president Nana Patole said.

The MMC comprises 84 seats - and according to the results of elections conducted in 2017, Congress had 28 seats, NCP 20, Shiv Sena 12, BJP 9, AIMIM 7 and JD(S) 7.

Now Congress is reduced to nil while NCP’s strength is now 48.

Patil said once the Covid-19 situation normalises, NCP president Sharad Pawar would address a meeting in Malegaon. "The NCP is committed to the overall development of Malegaon and completely change its face," he said.