Never called for dissolution of INDIA bloc, MVA: Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut

MUMBAI: A day after announcing that the Shiv Sena (UBT) would contest the local body elections on its own, party MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday clarified that he had never suggested that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) should be disbanded. The decision, he underlined, related to local body elections alone, and should not be misconstrued.

“Neither has my party nor I said that the INDIA bloc or the MVA should be dissolved,” said Raut, after the Sena (UBT)’s decision to go it alone in the local elections triggered talk of an impending split in the opposition coalition comprising the Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP-SP.

“Congress leaders should listen carefully and patiently, and refrain from jumping to conclusions,” he said, reacting to the view expressed by a few Congress leaders that the MVA allies should stick together, even for elections to local self-government bodies. The leaders also said they would discuss the issue with Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, who also leads the MVA coalition.

“The MVA was formed for the assembly polls and INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha elections. Local body elections are meant to empower party workers and strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level. Party workers want to contest the local body elections outside the alliance as fighting them as part of a coalition reduces the number of seats for each party. This means, fewer party workers get an opportunity to contest,” Raut explained. He also pointed out that it was standard practice for political allies to contest local polls on their own strength.

Stating that his remarks had been misunderstood, Raut said on Sunday, “Lok Sabha and assembly elections are a different story from local body elections, which have different equations. Sena (UBT) workers are keen to take the party’s new election symbol, ‘Mashal’ (flaming torch)’, to every home at the grassroots level, during municipal corporation, zilla parishad and other local body elections. This doesn’t mean there is a split in the INDIA bloc or MVA, or that it will be dissolved.”

He further said that every political party has the right to grow and local body elections provide party workers an ideal platform to prove their mettle. “Even during the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, both parties contested some local body elections separately. It’s not new. All parties in the MVA need to work on strengthening their booth-level organisational structure,” said Raut.

The Sena (UBT)’s allies denied they were concerned by the former’s decision on contesting the elections. NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule remarked, “There’s nothing new to it. When the Shiv Sena was in alliance with the BJP, both parties contested local body elections separately. Why is it all right for them to do it but seen as wrong when it happens in our alliance,” she asked.

Congress chief spokesperson, Atul Londhe, too said the Sena (UBT)’s decision on contesting the local polls had not raised any red flags. “We don’t think it will affect the MVA at the state level or INDIA bloc at the national level.”

From across the political divide, in the ruling Mahayuti alliance, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde accused Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray of changing colours like a chameleon. “I have never seen a person changing colours like him. When I was chief minister, he and his party used to abuse me day and night. Now everyone is watching what they are doing.” said Shinde, on the Sena (UBT) allegedly changing its stand on the MVA. His statement was also a dig at Thackeray recently meeting chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

BJP leader Narayan Rane too had some choice words for Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray. He claimed Uddhav did not have the heft to contest the elections on his own and had ruined the legacy built by party founder Bal Thackeray, in just two and a half years.