Amid growing tensions within the INDIA alliance, Sanjay Raut, a prominent leader of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), has announced that his party will contest the upcoming municipal corporation elections in Mumbai and Nagpur on its own.
This marks a significant shift in the party’s strategy, as it moves away from the coalition approach for these crucial local elections.
In a statement to the media on Saturday, Raut revealed that the decision had been finalised after discussions with the Shiv Sena’s Nagpur party chief, Pramod Manmode. He emphasised that the party was ready to fight these elections independently, no matter the circumstances.
"We will fight Mumbai and Nagpur Municipal Corporation on our own. Whatever happens, will happen. We have to see for ourselves. We will fight Nagpur on our own. Uddhav Thackeray has given us a signal. I just now discussed it with our city Shiv Sena chief Pramod Manmode," said Raut.
Raut further explained that the decision was taken with the aim of strengthening the party at the grassroots level. According to him, the workers within the party often find themselves sidelined during larger elections, such as the Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections.
"In the alliance, the workers do not get a chance to fight in the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assembly. This is affecting the party, in fact, the growth of the party. We should fight in the Municipal Corporation, Zilla Parishad and Nagar Panchayat on our own and strengthen our party," he added.
This announcement comes at a time when the INDIA alliance, which was formed to challenge the BJP in the 2024 general elections, is facing internal divisions. Recently, Raut had urged the Congress party to take responsibility for preserving the unity of the INDIA bloc.
He expressed his disappointment over the fact that there has not been a single meeting of the alliance since the last elections. "It is true that the INDIA alliance was formed for the Lok Sabha elections and after the elections not a single meeting of the INDIA alliance was held. Congress party was responsible for calling this meeting," Raut remarked.
The tensions within the alliance have only escalated in recent times, especially with the growing conflict between the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi.
The two parties are at odds over various issues ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 5. This disagreement has led many to question the strength and coherence of the INDIA alliance moving forward.
Adding to the concerns, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja recently admitted that the INDIA alliance was facing significant challenges. He acknowledged that the coalition stood divided after the Lok Sabha elections, with internal conflicts becoming more apparent.
Raja emphasised the need for left parties to unite secular and democratic forces in order to effectively challenge the BJP. However, the road ahead for the alliance seems increasingly uncertain, with factionalism posing a serious threat to its unity.
For Shiv Sena (UBT), this move to go solo in the municipal elections is a clear signal of their intent to reclaim local power and reinforce their presence in key regions such as Mumbai and Nagpur.
Despite the ongoing turbulence within the alliance, Raut’s call for strengthening the party at the local level could be seen as a strategic shift to regain ground ahead of the larger electoral battles in 2024.
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