Sharad Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, on Tuesday gave an indication that his party may follow a similar path to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena by contesting the upcoming Mumbai civic polls independently.
This statement has added fuel to growing speculations about a rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the coalition of Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP. The remark comes on the heels of the MVA's poor showing in the Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Addressing the media in Mumbai, Pawar emphasised that the INDIA bloc, an opposition alliance formed ahead of national elections, was only focused on national-level politics and elections.
He clarified that there was no prior discussion within the alliance regarding municipal or state-level elections.
“When the INDIA front was formed, the discussion was only about national issues and elections. There was no discussion about local body polls or state polls,” Pawar said, underlining that the parties had not agreed to contest such elections together.
Despite his comment, the NCP leader assured that a decision on contesting the Mumbai civic elections would be taken collectively by the MVA constituents after holding a meeting within the next week or so.
“In the upcoming municipal elections in Maharashtra, everyone will decide by holding a meeting in 8–10 days whether we will fight together or alone. We have communication within the alliance,” Pawar added.
Sharad Pawar’s statements also extended beyond Maharashtra's local elections. In a surprising move, the veteran leader suggested that the NCP would support Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
Pawar remarked, “In Delhi Assembly elections, my feeling is that we should help Arvind Kejriwal,” signalling the NCP’s stance on national politics while highlighting his party's priorities.
The backdrop to Pawar’s comments is the ongoing uncertainty within the MVA following its dismal performance in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Despite strong showings in the Lok Sabha elections earlier, the MVA could only manage 46 seats in the state Assembly elections.
Shiv Sena (UBT) secured 20 seats, Congress 16, and NCP (SP) won 10. This poor performance has prompted some leaders within Shiv Sena (UBT) to suggest that Uddhav Thackeray should consider parting ways with the MVA and contest elections independently.
Adding to the tension, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT) recently announced its decision to contest the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) election alone, ending years of control over the BMC by the undivided Shiv Sena.
This move further stirred the political pot and raised questions about the future of the MVA alliance.
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