The finalisation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance formula for the upcoming Pune civic elections has hit a roadblock, with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) stating a clear precondition. The party's state president, Shashikant Shinde, declared on Friday that the alliance cannot be cemented until the proposed collaboration between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) is first decided.
Internal Deliberations and a Firm Deadline
Shinde, who was in Pune to hold meetings with office-bearers for candidate selection for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) polls, provided a crucial timeline. He announced that his party will officially declare its stance on the alliance matter on December 21. This statement brings a degree of certainty to the otherwise fluid political negotiations.
The NCP (SP) leader also addressed the overtures from the rival Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction, which has expressed interest in joining hands for the corporation elections. Shinde clarified the party's position, stating, "Though various options are being explored at the local level by our units, there has been no formal proposal of alliance from Ajit Pawar's party. Therefore, there is no question of discussing it. Our preference will always be with the MVA."
Two Schools of Thought Within NCP (SP)
Shinde candidly admitted to existing internal discussions within his party regarding the alliance strategy. He revealed that one section of the party advocates for contesting strictly with the existing MVA partners—Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT). Conversely, another group believes that alliance decisions should be made after a thorough assessment of the local political dynamics in each area. Shinde emphasised that the party will make a overarching policy decision at the state level, which all local units will be mandated to follow.
The Sena-MNS-Congress Conundrum
The core issue delaying the MVA's unity, as identified by Shinde, stems from the differences between the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) over the potential inclusion of Raj Thackeray's MNS into the opposition bloc. "Both the cousins (Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray) have expressed their willingness to go together for the corporation polls. Congress is in opposition to the inclusion of MNS," Shinde explained.
He further elaborated that since the Shiv Sena (UBT) has not yet presented a formal proposal to induct the MNS into the MVA fold, the partners cannot proceed with finalising a seat-sharing formula. A comprehensive discussion among the MVA constituents will only commence once such a formal proposal is tabled.
This political stalemate sets the stage for a crucial few weeks in Maharashtra's politics, with the December 21 deadline from the NCP (SP) adding pressure on its allies to resolve their differences and present a united front ahead of the crucial urban local body polls.
