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Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) made an alarming announcement on Saturday regarding election to local bodies, raising concern over opposition bloc’s unity, PTI reported. On January 10, Shiv Sena (UBT) declared that it will contest local bodies polls independently amid a blame game over the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s rout in the state assembly polls.
Blaming two roadblocks in contesting elections in an alliance, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut criticised the alliance and alleged that workers of respective parties are hard hit with lack of opportunities in an alliance and the right to organisational growth.
“In an alliance, workers of individual parties don’t get opportunities, and it hampers organisational growth. We will contest polls to the Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and other municipal corporations, zilla parishads and panchayats on our strength,” PTI quoted Sanjay Raut as saying.
Besides this, Sanjay Raut suggested that the INDIA bloc and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances- consisting of Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP)- were meant for Lok Sabha and assembly elections. Blaming Congress for the lack of coordination in MVA, Sanjay Raut slammed Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar for indulging in a blame game over the MVA’s defeat in the assembly polls.
Claiming that the INDIA bloc didn’t convene any meeting after the Lok Sabha election results, Sanjar Raut asserted those who don’t believe in consensus and compromise have no right to be in an alliance.
This development about contesting solo comes two days after Uddhav Thackeray-led party announced its support for Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP in the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections.
Amid signals of rift between MVA partners, Congress leader reacted to Shiv Sena’s (UBT) support to AAP and said the party’s central leadership will take a call on whether Congress will contest solo or otherwise in local body polls.
Notably, the schedule of Maharashtra local body elections has not been declared yet. According to Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), the Sena (UBT)’s decision will impact the poll prospects of all three constituents of the MVA coalition.