‘Respect your regional allies’: Sena (UBT) mouthpiece hits out at Congress

The editorial said that the Congress’s stance to “maintain a distance” from its alliance partners is “narrow-minded”, and that if the party genuinely wants to capture power at the Centre, a strong alliance in the states is the only way forward

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece, Saamana, criticised the Congress in an editorial on Monday over the differences that surfaced within the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance during the Rajya Sabha elections and the upcoming legislative council polls.

Mumbai, India – Sep 26, 2024: Shivsena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut addressing media outside Saamana office, in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, Sept 26, 2024. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

The editorial said that the Congress’s stance to “maintain a distance” from its alliance partners is “narrow-minded”, and that if the party genuinely wants to capture power at the Centre, a strong alliance in the states is the only way forward.

The criticism in Saamana stems from recent friction within the MVA over seat-sharing in the Rajya Sabha and legislative council polls. The state Congress unit, led by Harshwardhan Sapkal, is reportedly unhappy that, despite being a key player in the alliance, it has had to concede seats. This has exposed a gap between the Congress high command’s focus on maintaining alliance unity and the state unit’s desire for a larger share of representation.

“Rahul Gandhi should be congratulated for handing over the leadership of Maharashtra to such a capable leader, and [Sapkal] deserves appreciation for wanting to take his party to the top,” the editorial said. “But if his stance is that his party will reach the top only with a seat in the legislative council or Rajya Sabha, then they will have to reconsider their target.”

Advising the grand old party to respect its regional allies, Saamana said, “The Congress should send a message that we, as a national party, respect regional parties and come together to think about the future of the country. What is the point in focusing on one Rajya Sabha or Legislative Council seat?”

The editorial also criticised the Congress for giving up the post of speaker during the formation of the MVA government after the 2019 Assembly elections, without consulting its allies. Saamana said the decision weakened the government and led to its eventual toppling by defection.

“Had there been dialogue, the alliance might have remained in power for 15 years. Whenever Congress sincerely plays the role of the ‘elder brother’, it benefits,” the editorial said.

Reacting to the Saamana editorial, Congress leader Sachin Sawant said the Shiv Sena (UBT) should introspect before blaming others. “In an alliance, there should be discussion before making anything public. Shiv Sena (UBT) announced their views and then expect us to support it. In the Chandrapur and Mumbai civic body elections, they did the same thing. Otherwise, the MVA would have been in power at both civic bodies,” he said.