Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), is making efforts to preserve the unity of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition after Shiv Sena (UBT) announced its intention to contest upcoming local body elections independently. Pawar, in a statement on Tuesday, revealed his plans to meet with top leaders from the coalition’s three parties to explore the possibility of contesting the elections together.
Pawar’s Efforts to Maintain Coalition Unity
Pawar clarified that while the MVA and the INDIA alliance were formed with the purpose of contesting national and state elections, respectively, there was never any agreement or mandate to contest local body elections jointly. He emphasized that the core aim of the INDIA alliance was to focus on national-level polls, and the same principle applied to MVA’s objectives, which were limited to state-level elections.
“The mandate for forming the INDIA alliance was to contest national-level elections. We have never discussed contesting local self-government elections together,” said Pawar, addressing the Shiv Sena (UBT) decision to go solo in the local polls.
Strain Within Coalitions
The MVA, an alliance formed between opposition and ruling parties to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Maharashtra, has served as a model for unity among ideologically diverse parties. This coalition was instrumental in forming the broader INDIA alliance, which united parties across the country despite their ideological differences. However, just as the INDIA alliance faces challenges in the Delhi assembly polls, the MVA is also experiencing strain, particularly after Shiv Sena’s (UBT) announcement of independent participation in local elections.
Despite the tension, Pawar remains committed to preserving unity within the MVA. “As far as MVA is concerned, we will hold a meeting in the next ten days to discuss whether we can adopt a unified approach in the state for local body elections,” he added. However, Pawar made it clear that this does not necessarily mean the parties would contest the elections together.
Addressing the INDIA Alliance Challenges
Pawar also spoke about the ongoing issues within the INDIA alliance, specifically in Delhi, where Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress are competing against each other. Despite their earlier alliance within INDIA, the two parties are now in direct competition. Pawar remarked, “Delhi is the base of the Kejriwal-led AAP. The people have elected them twice in the past, and we would have worked together if there was confidence, but that did not happen.”
Pawar expressed a desire for consensus on national issues, reaffirming his readiness to lead initiatives to address the challenges faced by the alliance.
As the MVA coalition and the INDIA alliance continue to navigate internal tensions, Pawar’s leadership remains crucial in efforts to keep the unity intact, even amid local electoral disputes.
