Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) may spring a surprise in the BMC polls scheduled later this year—all three allies, the Congress, the Shiv Sena UBT and the NCP (SP), might go solo. But so far, no one is making it official.
MVA leaders—some on record, some off record—say they will assess each other’s strengths and then decide. But the sense ThePrint got after speaking to leaders across the alliance was that in high profile seats like Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur and Thane, each party could go alone.
Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat was cautious. He told the media on Monday that MVA will decide together how to proceed. “Parties with similar ideologies should stay together and for the upcoming polls, as MVA, our leaders will sit and discuss how to take it forward.”
However, other Congress leaders in Mumbai told ThePrint, they might leave the final decision to local leaders and karyakartas. Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said, “Our line is very clear. We have left it to our local level leaders. Wherever they decide to go solo, we will go solo. It depends on local level leadership.”
Another Congress leader said, “We will contest alone where we are strong, like Mumbai, Nagpur, etc. And wherever we feel we need to combine our efforts like Kolhapur, Sangli, Pune, we will do that. So MVA is intact. However each corporation, zilla parishad, nagar panchayat will be assessed individually.”
This comes in at a time when the Congress’s alliance partner Shiv Sena UBT is sending feelers to Raj Thackeray and his MNS, “in the larger interest of Maharashtra”.
Shiv Sena UBT leaders have also said they may go solo in the BMC polls. Former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar told ThePrint they have left the decision to party chief Uddhav Thackerary. “Whether to go as Aghadi or with Raj Thackeray or solo, he will take that ultimate call. As karyakartas we are preparing our ground. We are angry over what has been happening, and now it is high time elections are held. We are ready for anything.”
Political analyst Hemant Desai said it seems likely the MVA will fight separately, especially in big seats. “At the moment, it doesn’t look that MVA is preparing to fight together. Their strengths are different in different pockets. Especially in Mumbai, Sena UBT is able to get Muslim votes as previously seen in assembly and Lok Sabha. So they don’t need Congress as such. And in Vidarbha, Congress is stronger. So it doesn’t make sense for them to fight it together. Besides, issues will crop up in seat sharing especially between Congress and Sena UBT.”
Uddhav-Raj, Sharad-Ajit?
There could also be alliances outside the MVA. On the one hand, Sena UBT and MNS might decide to go together citing the Marathi manoos plank, on the other hand, the frequent meetings of Sharad Pawar-Ajit Pawar—the latest on 1 June 1 at Vasantdada Sugar Institute—are leading to speculation of a possible patch-up.
“These elections will be fought on local issues and that is why the equations are totally different. Besides, if we talk about Mumbai, Sena is stronger. Previously, we did not have a great experience with seat sharing with them. So, that could still be an issue,” warned one Congress leader. “In my opinion, if we go with Shiv Sena UBT, it might hurt both of us if the votes don’t get transferred. Besides, in the BMC elections, our poll issues are also different. A post-poll alliance of MVA is also possible,” he added.
There are rumblings within the Mahayuti too with BJP preparing to go solo in local body polls. But Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis himself has said the alliance will be together in most places; while on some seats, there could be friendly fights.
Terms of all 29 municipal corporations ended in February and elections to corporations and multiple nagar panchayats and zilla parishads are expected to be held later this year.
The Maharashtra State Election Commission has already begun the process of ward formation in an exercise that is expected to be a mini assembly election.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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