The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to intervene and restrain his Shiv Sena colleague, Vijay Shivtare, who has been openly criticising Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
This appeal comes in the interest of maintaining unity within the ruling coalition.
The ruling alliance, known as Mahayuti, comprises the NCP led by Ajit Pawar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Shinde's Shiv Sena. However, Shivtare's consistent criticism of Ajit Pawar risks causing discord within the coalition.
Speaking at a press conference, NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil expressed concern that Shivtare's ongoing criticism could unsettle party workers and jeopardise the alliance's prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.
With 48 parliamentary seats at stake, unity among the coalition partners is crucial.
Highlighting the significance of every seat in the upcoming elections, Patil emphasised the common agenda shared by the BJP, NCP, and Shiv Sena, which is to secure a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Shivtare, a former Shiv Sena MLA from Purandar, has announced his intention to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Baramati constituency as an Independent candidate.
Baramati is considered the stronghold of the Pawar family, with Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, likely to be the NCP's candidate against her sister-in-law and sitting MP, Supriya Sule.
Despite attempts by Chief Minister Shinde to dissuade Shivtare from contesting, including a meeting on Monday where Shinde tried to persuade him to withdraw his candidacy, Shivtare remains adamant about his decision.
Patil stressed the need for Shivtare to halt his campaign against Ajit Pawar for the sake of alliance unity. He questioned whether NCP workers would support Shiv Sena candidates if Shivtare's criticism persists.
Shivtare, however, has maintained his stance, asserting that he aims to contest from Baramati to challenge the dominance of the Pawar family in the constituency.
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