MVA in disarray as Shiv Sena (UBT), VBA announce candidates

Shiv Sena (UBT)’s announcement of 17 candidates for the April-June Lok Sabha polls prompted a sharp reaction from the Congress on Wednesday as the Opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) grouping was yet to reach a consensus on seat allocation in the key western state, which sends second highest lawmakers (48) to Parliament’s 543-member lower House.

“The Shiv Sena (UBT) should not have announced candidates for Sangli and Mumbai seats where the MVA allies are yet to reach a consensus. We have already expressed unhappiness with our party leadership and will take further steps as directed...,” said Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad.

Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress sought Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai North-West, and Sangli seats. Shiv Sena won Mumbai South-Central and Mumbai North-West seats when it was in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sangli has been a traditional Congress stronghold even though it lost the seat to the BJP in 2014 and 2019.

The Congress maintained it has not given up and asked Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray to reconsider his decision. “It is the responsibility of all parties to follow coalition dharma when the talks within MVA are still on,” said Congress leader Balsaheb Thorat.

A delegation of Congress leaders from Sangli was in New Delhi to seek the top party leadership’s intervention even as Shiv Sena (UBT) was yet to react to Congress’s objections.

Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar’s announcement of eight candidates, rejecting the MVA’s offer of five seats, dealt another blow to the coalition on Wednesday. He announced a tie-up with Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil and the OBC Federation and added that they will field candidates across Maharashtra. Ambedkar, however, announced support for Congress’s Vikas Thakre in Nagpur, where the BJP has renominated Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.

Ambedkar, who will contest from Akola, said the MVA wanted to use the VBA to protect dynasties.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, votes VBA candidates polled led to the defeat of at least half a dozen Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) candidates, including Sushilkumar Shinde.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said they waited until the last minute to accommodate VBA. “We are still open to talks. “People want the VBA to join the united opposition to end dictatorship in the country.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve added to the party’s woes by opposing Chandrakant Khaire’s candidature from Aurangabad. “I will not work for Khaire, but I will campaign for the party.”

Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam opposed the nomination of Amol Kirtikar from Mumbai North-West. He referred to the probe against Kirtikar over the alleged irregularities in the distribution of khichdi during the Covid-19 pandemic and said he would not campaign for him. He added the Congress leadership does not seem to care.

A group of NCP functionaries from the Mumbai North-East constituency rushed to meet the party chief Sharad Pawar to oppose the Sena (UBT) candidate Sanjay Patil’s nomination. In 2009, NCP won the seat. Patil lost his seat in 2014 before he joined the Shiv Sena.