Uddhav Sena To Fight Maharashtra Local Body Polls Solo. Trouble In INDIA Bloc?

The Uddhav faction of Shiv Sena announced on Saturday that they would contest the municipal corporation elections in Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, and other municipalities, zilla parishads, and panchayats independently, dealing a significant blow to the INDIA bloc in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, revealing the decision to go solo, remarked, "In an alliance, workers of individual parties don't get opportunities, and it hampers organisational growth. We will contest on our strength."

Photo Credit: PTI

Raut also pointed out their frustration at not even being able to appoint a convener for the INDIA bloc in Maharashtra. "It isn't good. As the largest party of the alliance, it was the Congress's responsibility to convene a meeting," he stated.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance was established in 2019 under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray of Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar of the NCP (SP), and Sonia Gandhi of the Congress, following Uddhav's decision to exit the NDA alliance. The MVA, alongside regional parties like Trinamool Congress and DMK, came together to form the INDIA bloc in preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Raut criticised senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar for blaming allies after MVA's defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, claiming that there had not been a single meeting of the INDIA bloc since last year's Lok Sabha elections.

Meanwhile, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) leader Prakash Ambedkar stated that Uddhav Thackeray's decision to sever ties with the MVA was made in the interest of his son Aaditya.

This announcement follows Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar's rare praise of the RSS, lauding its Hindutva campaign for helping the BJP secure a strong victory in the state assembly elections last November.

At a party event in Mumbai, Pawar also reprimanded his party workers for complacency, despite MVA's strong performance in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.