Congress Uddhav-led Sena review Maharashtra Lok Sabha seats – uncertainty looms over NCP faction
Congress Uddhav-led Sena review Maharashtra Lok Sabha seats – uncertainty looms over NCP faction
Sources reveal that Sharad Pawar’s meetings with his nephew and rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar triggered the Sena (UBT) and the Congress to think ahead in case Pawar senior’s faction allies with BJP, despite denials .
With a future hanging in a thread over Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction, Pawar’s allies in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Congress and the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) have started taking stock of all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.
Reportedly, Pawar’s repeated meetings with his nephew, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, in total disregard to the latter having split from the NCP to align with the ruling BJP-Eknath Shinde government, prompted the Sena (UBT) and the Congress to suspect that Pawar senior’s faction may ally with the BJP in the future, notwithstanding denials.
As per sources, the two MVA parties are in prep for the 2024 General Election being aware that they might have to go without Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction, regardless the latter’s assurance that his NCP faction would have nothing to do with the BJP.
On Tuesday, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole asserted that although the NCP chief’s meetings with Ajit Pawar were certainly a cause for concern for the future of the MVA alliance, a decision on it would only be taken by the party’s top brass.
According to Patole, before the meetings amid Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar, are a cause for worry. These clandestine meetings are improper. However, discussions on this matter will be held at a higher level, that is, the Opposition INDIA bloc. He never deems it right for him to comment on it.
He went on to remarked that the Congress’ stance was clear and that it would take anybody willing to fight the BJP.
Soon following Sharad Pawar’s meeting with Ajit Pawar on August 13, atole held a long meeting withThackeray-led Sena (UBT) leadership to deliberate MVA’s future on the course.
The Congress had already appointed observers to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra to study every segment and submit a report to the party high command before August 15. The party had also decided to launch a foot march from August 16 to August 31.
According to Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut there wasn’t any such decision as yet on the Congress and his faction contesting the General Election without Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction.
Sanjay Raut pins hope on MVA’s stand together till the end without any aspersions cast on the role of any of the constituents.
It is learnt that Like the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT), too, will commence its stock-taking meet to review all 48 Lok Sabha constituencies over the next four days.
Meanwhile, as per Supriya Sule, Baramati MP and Pawar’s daughter, harad Pawar’s daughter, there should be no such confusion on the point of whether their faction would ally with the BJP when Sharad Pawar had already cleared that he would never go with the saffron party.
Even Pawar senior loyalist Jitendra Awhad, too, said the NCP chief had made clear he would not compromise in any manner with the BJP.
News Edit K.V.Raman
