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The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is engaged in ‘friendly fights’ in at least seven Maharashtra assembly constituencies while the ruling Mahayuti is facing similar contests in at least five seats
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, and Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole. (File image: PTI)
Not all “friendly fights” can be friendly. Allies Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) are not finding any amity in the Congress decision to put up candidates against theirs even if it’s being termed “friendly”.
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is engaged in “friendly fights” in at least seven Maharashtra assembly constituencies while the ruling Mahayuti is facing similar contests in at least five seats. All the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra will go to the polls on November 20 and the counting of votes will be held on November 23.
The Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have both fielded candidates in Miraj (Sangli district), Solapur South (Solapur district), Digras (Yavatmal district), and Dharavi (Mumbai). In Paranda (Dharashiv district), the Sena (UBT) candidate will be squaring off with Sharad Pawar’s NCP while a Congress nominee will contest against NCP-SP in Pandharpur (Solapur district).
The seat-sharing talks in the MVA saw a lot of headaches and heartaches and the outcome is that while things may seem smooth on the surface, there is simmering anger beneath. For example, just recently Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut accused the Congress of being arbitrary. Uddhav’s Shiv Sena said, “We have been urging the Congress not to field candidates as friendly fights. We have been asking them to withdraw their candidate from Miraj but they are not listening.”
Sources say the Congress held a high-level meeting on Wednesday. The dilemma is to reconcile the aspirations of the local Congress leaders and the dignity of the alliance.
At the meeting, Rahul Gandhi reiterated the line that while the Congress may have lost the recent Haryana polls, it should not be seen to be on the back foot. If some state leaders feel the need to contest in “friendly fights”, then so be it, the MP said.
However, the Congress is also hassled by many rebels and state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala has made it clear that all dissenters would have to withdraw their candidature before the last day to do so, which is November 4. But sources say, there was no clarity or final decision at the meeting on whether the Congress would withdraw from “friendly fights”. As of now, with Rahul Gandhi being not too keen, it seems unlikely. But ally pressure is mounting with the MVA keen not to have a repeat of Haryana.