Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has met NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar regarding contesting the upcoming local body elections in Maharashtra. The differences of opinion among the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) regarding contesting elections under the alliance are well known. Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced that it will contest the local body elections alone. Sharad Pawar has also said that there was never any discussion on contesting local elections together.
Party sources said that Uddhav Thackeray reached Silver Oak, the residence of former Union Minister Pawar in South Mumbai. Where there was a conversation between the two for more than an hour. Pawar, who played a key role in forming the opposition alliance, has intervened to resolve differences in the MVA. He had also recently said that a meeting of three constituent parties would be called on this issue.
NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar recently said that he will call a meeting of the three alliance partners Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress to discuss contesting the upcoming local body elections. At the same time, Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced that it will contest the local body elections alone. After this announcement, Congress leader criticized this step.
At the same time, Sharad Pawar had said that the national and state level elections were to be fought under the Indian Alliance formed at the national level and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) formed for Maharashtra respectively, and not at the local level. He had said, 'We never discussed or suggested contesting elections together at the local body level.'
Political allies traditionally contest local body elections independently, but Shiv Sena's (UBT) decision has given rise to speculation about the feasibility of an MVA. MVA includes Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress. The MVA alliance had to face a crushing defeat in the assembly elections held last year. Since then, differences in MVA have been increasing.
