Will Uddhav Thackeray leave MVA after Maharashtra assembly election defeat?
Party leader faces mounting pressure from cadre to go solo in upcoming local body elections
Mumbai: After suffering a decisive defeat in the assembly elections, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) is facing mounting pressure from within to break away from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) opposition coalition for upcoming local body elections.
The matter came to the fore during Tuesday's meeting of defeated party candidates. Sources within the party indicated that Thackeray addressed the possibility of reassessing whether the MVA alliance has benefited the party or if an independent path would be more advantageous.
Ambadas Danve, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council and senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, acknowledged on Wednesday the growing sentiment within the party for independent contestation. "There is a general opinion in the party that we should take up the task of rebuilding our party organisation and contest coming elections on our own", he said.
"It has nothing to do with us winning or not winning elections. This is about strengthening our party organisation", Danve added.
During Tuesday's meeting, numerous defeated candidates voiced concerns about rebels from allied parties undermining their electoral prospects, citing instances where Congress and NCP (SP) failed to provide adequate support. Several party leaders believe the alliance with Congress has alienated their traditional voter base. They advocate for an independent approach focused on Hindutva and sons of the soil as core principles. The party's performance in the recent elections was notably poor, winning only 20 of the 95 contested seats, with half of these victories concentrated in their Mumbai stronghold.
A former legislator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "Our voters were always against the Congress and tilted towards the Hindutva ideology. As such there was a clear divide in our support base when Shinde split the party and went with the BJP. That was one of the reasons why the party could not get enough support in our traditional strongholds. We have urged Uddhavji to take a relook at the MVA's utility for us and decide since the civic polls are likely to be held early next year".
Post-Lok Sabha elections, ruling parties launched a campaign against Shiv Sena (UBT), attributing their seat victories to minority votes. Some party leaders suggest the Mahayuti successfully created a perception among traditional Sena voters that the Thackeray faction was courting Muslim votes, potentially explaining why Thackeray's emotional appeal regarding "traitors who split the Shiv Sena" failed to resonate with voters.
Arvind Sawant, South Mumbai MP and senior party leader, stated, "It is obvious that we will assess what happened with respect to seat sharing and during the election campaign. Our allies failed to rein in their rebels which led to defeat of our candidates. If this happens, a party may think it is better off without a coalition. Remember we had won 63 seats when we had contested on our own in 2014. Our party leadership will decide what to do".
Local body elections, including municipal corporations and district councils, have been delayed for over two years in some cases, with several petitions pending regarding Other Backward Class (OBC) reservation and ward restructuring. The new government is expected to expedite these elections, potentially scheduling them for February-March, pending court decisions.
These elections, particularly the Mumbai civic polls, are crucial for the Thackeray faction to recover from their assembly election setback. The undivided Shiv Sena previously controlled the BMC for over 25 years until its term concluded in 2022. Despite the party split, they retain three MPs and ten MLAs in Mumbai.
However, Thackeray faces a complex decision regarding MVA withdrawal or independent electoral participation, as BJP and Shiv Sena are likely to strongly oppose his efforts to secure power in the BMC or other major local bodies. In a contest against Mahayuti in civic polls, he would require support from Congress's traditional voters, including significant Dalit and minority communities in Mumbai and other cities.
Responding to these developments, Congress, a Shiv Sena (UBT) ally, maintained a measured stance. Balasaheb Thorat, senior Congress leader, said, "Each party has a right to decide whether to stay in a coalition or contest elections on its own. It is natural that such kind of reaction would come from leaders of any party after such a result. We will react if the Sena (UBT) leadership takes any such decision".