NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar hinted on Tuesday that his party might independently contest the Mumbai civic elections, following in the footsteps of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena. This has fueled rumors of a rift within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Addressing the media in Mumbai, Pawar remarked that the India Bloc was formed solely for national-level elections and no discussions were held about contesting municipal or state elections together.
Amid ongoing blame games over MVA's defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, this move questions the alliance's unity. Recently, despite a strong performance in the Lok Sabha elections, the MVA alliance could win only 46 seats in the state elections—20 by Shiv Sena (UBT), 16 by Congress, and 10 by NCP (SP). Following the results, a faction of Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders urged Uddhav Thackeray to break away from the MVA and contest independently.
'A Meeting Will Be Called Soon'
Addressing the issue of India Bloc parties contesting against each other, Sharad Pawar stated, 'When India Bloc was formed, discussions were limited to national issues and elections. No talks were held regarding local body or state elections.'
Pawar mentioned that the MVA will meet in the coming 8-10 days to discuss local body election issues and make appropriate decisions. As for Baramati or Indapur municipal councils, we have not considered contesting with the MVA. This does not necessarily imply that we won't contest together. We need to discuss this jointly and will call a meeting soon.
'We Should Support Kejriwal'
Regarding the Delhi Assembly election, he said, 'Delhi is Kejriwal's stronghold. People have voted for him. We could have thought of staying together, but it didn't happen.' When asked about supporting AAP or Congress, Sharad Pawar stated, 'We believe that if we can, we should collaborate to aid Kejriwal.'
What Did Sharad Pawar Say About Praising RSS?
Targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Sharad Pawar mentioned, 'He doesn't understand that when I was the Union Agriculture Minister, I was the biggest exporter of wheat, rice, grains, and horticulture in the world. Unfortunately, some illiterate individuals are unaware of these facts, so they need not be taken seriously.'
On praising the RSS ideology, he remarked, 'It's a simple truth that every political party has its own way of functioning and principles. Admiring that method isn't endorsing the ideology. I've stated that the hard work of their workers cannot be overlooked.'
