Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) should decide its chief ministerial candidate ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election, rather than basing the decision on which party wins the most seats.
While he expressed support for “any CM candidate endorsed” by the Congress and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), the MVA allies instead stressed the need to focus on removing the BJP-led MahaYuti coalition from power in the State.
Speaking at the first joint meeting of party workers of the Opposition alliance in Mumbai, Mr. Thackeray, who resigned as Chief Minister following a rebellion in his party in June 2022, remarked that while the Lok Sabha election was about safeguarding democracy and the Constitution, the Assembly election is about “defending Maharashtra’s self-respect”.
“I will support anyone chosen by the Congress and NCP (SP) as the CM candidate of MVA. This isn’t about me; it’s about fighting for Maharashtra’s rights,” Mr. Thackeray stated.
He also stressed that the chief ministerial candidate should be determined first, and that the MVA should not “go by the logic of the party that secures the most seats in the election”. “This policy is detrimental as it would lead to one party trying to defeat the other’s candidate to maintain upper hand in the alliance,” he said.
“The MVA cadres should set aside personal interests and fight to protect Maharashtra’s pride and interests. I urge you to become ambassadors for the Opposition alliance across the State,” he said.
With the election for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly expected in October or November, Mr. Pawar stressed the importance of a single-point agenda to bring about a change in the State government.
He also called for a united front, ensuring that the three MVA partners collaborate with Leftist parties such as the Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP) and the Samajwadi Party, and treating them with due respect.
“If the situation has to improve in the State, we must have a single-point agenda to change the government in Maharashtra,” the 83-year-old Maratha strongman said.
Earlier this month, Mr. Thackeray, accompanied by his wife Rashmi and son Aaditya, made a three-day visit to New Delhi to meet with Congress leaders to reportedly persuade the leadership to nominate him as the chief ministerial candidate.
Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole stated that while the decision on MVA’s chief ministerial face will be left to top leaders, the primary goal is to remove the MahaYuti government from power.
He accused the BJP of amassing wealth through corruption, alleging that “two leaders in Delhi” are treating Maharashtra as their personal ATM and trying to bankrupt the State. “Congress will defeat the BJP alliance in the upcoming Assembly election, shut down the ‘Modi-Shah ATM’ for good, and redirect Maharashtra’s resources back to its people,” Mr. Patole said.
On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a Uniform Civil Code during his Independence Day speech, the Sena leader questioned whether the PM had abandoned Hindutva. “I wonder if Mr. Modi has given up Hindutva. Have you abandoned Hindutva? You aligned with Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar, who do not believe in Hindutva,” he said.
Mr. Thackeray also criticised the government for not passing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill when the BJP held an absolute majority. He also dared the Election Commission to announce election in Maharashtra immediately.
Mr. Pawar criticised the Centre for disrespecting the position of the Leader of Opposition by not seating Rahul Gandhi in the front row during the Independence Day event.
He warned that the threat to the Constitution persists, even if the BJP had failed to secure a majority in the Lok Sabha, and accused Mr. Modi of disregarding Parliament. He alleged that Mr. Modi did not attend even a single day of the Budget Session. He expressed concern that those in power show little respect for parliamentary procedures.
“The Centre did not honour the post of Leader of Opposition. The Leader of Opposition was relegated to the back rows,” Mr. Pawar said. He said that the Prime Minister is an institution, as is the Leader of Opposition, and both positions must be treated equally.
The meeting was attended by NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule, State president Jayant Patil, Congress’s Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat, Varsha Gaikwad, and other leaders from the MVA.
