MVA in Maharashtra Faces Challenges as Sanjay Raut Challenges Congress to Declare End of INDIA Bloc

Mumbai, Jan 10 (NationPress) As the local and civic body elections draw near in Maharashtra, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) or INDIA bloc seems to be faltering, as leaders are now publicly questioning each other's commitment.

Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut stated on Friday that there has been no meeting of the INDIA bloc since the Lok Sabha elections, which he deemed unfavorable. He challenged the Congress party to officially announce that the INDIA bloc was merely a temporary arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections and no longer exists.

Raut criticized the Congress party, the largest faction within the opposition coalition, pointing out that leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Tejashwi Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, and Omar Abdullah have already indicated that the INDIA bloc is effectively defunct.

“If such sentiments are emerging among the leaders of this alliance, then the Congress party, being the largest party within it, should take a definitive stance and declare that the INDIA bloc was solely formed for the Lok Sabha elections,” he remarked. “If this alliance disintegrates, it will be impossible to reconstruct it,” he added.

Raut's remarks come amid growing calls within Shiv Sena(UBT) to contest the upcoming elections for the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation independently. The MVA, which secured 31 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, failed to achieve a majority in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections after the Mahayuti coalition claimed a sweeping victory. Despite this setback, MVA allies have not taken significant steps to maintain their coalition to challenge the Mahayuti in Maharashtra.

NCP(SP) MP, Dr. Amol Kolhe criticized the Congress during a party meeting on Thursday, stating, “The Congress party's fractured state is yet to recover, while the Thackeray faction remains unresponsive.”

He condemned both Congress and Shiv Sena(UBT) for their lack of initiative following their defeat in the Assembly elections and for not revitalizing the Maha Vikas Aghadi in preparation for the upcoming local and civic body elections. “Shiv Sena and Congress have not yet overcome their stagnation; thus, we in the NCP(SP) must now work with renewed vigor to revive and win the local and civic body elections,” he urged party members. “We have Sharad Pawar who is actively engaged. Currently, there is a significant void in the opposition, and those who endure will fight more tenaciously,” Dr. Kolhe stated.

Moreover, former opposition leader and veteran Congress legislator Vijay Wadettiwar asserted that the MVA's failure to defeat the Mahayuti in the Assembly elections stemmed from inadequate planning and strategy. While he did not name specific individuals, he hinted that the public disputes between state Congress chief Nana Patole and Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, which gained widespread attention, were detrimental to the MVA and delayed the seat-sharing process.

“During the seat-sharing discussions, both Nana Patole and Sanjay Raut were involved, as were we. Had the deadlock over seat-sharing been resolved within two days, the MVA partners could have formulated a solid election strategy and campaign. The inability to coordinate joint election plans among the three parties significantly hampered our electoral prospects,” Wadettiwar claimed.

In response to Dr. Kolhe's criticism, Wadettiwar advised him to focus on his own party's affairs rather than offering unsolicited advice to the Congress party. Raut countered Wadettiwar's remarks, indicating that he should be aware of the reasons for the delayed seat-sharing process. “Whether it was Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil, or us leaders from Shiv Sena(UBT), the fact remains that the seat allocation was not finalized until the last moment for filing applications. Such delays in any alliance create unease among the workers, leaving them insufficient time for effective poll management,” Raut noted.

In contrast, the Mahayuti coalition completed its seat allocation approximately two months prior, and despite ongoing discussions, they managed to finalize their arrangements. “Vijay Wadettiwar's frustrations reflect the sentiments of the entire MVA. Mistakes were made, and there was no justification for the delay in the seat allocation process. Those errors must be acknowledged. We had been stating that seat distributions were flawed in numerous instances, but there is little point in revisiting those discussions now,” he explained. While Wadettiwar refrained from directly naming individuals, he subtly alluded to issues concerning his own colleagues,” Raut added.

When questioned about the disagreement, he replied, “There was a conflict between Nana Patole and myself; Congress desired more seats, and ultimately, they secured the fewest. We won 20 seats, but what’s the point in arguing about it at this juncture?”

Observers suggest that the fragmentation of the MVA, attributed to a lack of unity and cohesion, may facilitate the Mahayuti's continued dominance in the local and civic body elections.

(Sanjay Jog can be contacted at sanjay.j@ians.in)