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Maharashtra local body polls: Wadettiwar, Sapkal give contradicting statements on Cong-MNS alliance
Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar stated the party will contest Mumbai civic polls independently, while Nashik unit's potential alliance with MNS is permissible due to local authorization. This contradicts Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, who announced show-cause notices for Nashik functionaries attending an MNS alliance meeting, emphasizing alliances only with INDI bloc partners.
Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday said the party will contest Mumbai civic polls independently and asserted there should be no issue if his colleagues in Nashik want to align with MNS as district units have been authorised to take decisions as per the "local situation".
His statement, however, was not in consonance with that of Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal who said show cause notices would be issued to party functionaries in Nashik for attending a meeting regarding an alliance with the Raj Thackeray-led party.
Talking to reporters in Nagpur, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Wadettiwar said office-bearers in Mumbai have decided to contest civic polls in the metropolis independently.
"There is no question of seat sharing talks in Mumbai. I feel there should be no problem in alliance with Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, BSP, MNS, who are not Maha Vikas Aghadi allies," he said.
"If the Congress unit in Nashik has decided to align with MNS, it is for Nashik only. They must have taken a decision based on the local political situation. They had been authorised to do so. I don't think there should be an issue," Wadettiwar added.
There can be no alliance with BJP, (Ajit Pawar's) NCP and (Eknath Shinde-led) Shiv Sena, but non-Mahayuti parties, which are not part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi either, can be included, he asserted.
Speaking to reporters in Buldhana, Sapkal, however, said, "The state unit has not authorised anyone to hold talks with MNS. Those who attended a meeting with regards to alliance with MNS have been issued show cause notices." "The leaders in Nashik didn't discuss with the state unit. Alliance needs to be done with INDI bloc partners," Sapkal asserted.
Earlier in the day, MNS leader Dinkar Patil told reporters that the Raj Thackeray-led party had finalised an alliance with the Maha Vikas Aghadi for local body polls in Nashik.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi comprises Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (SP) and the Congress.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader DL Karad as well as local Congress leader and former corporator Rahul Dive seconded him.
Karad said all parties have decided to contest forthcoming elections together to reduce the influence of the ruling Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
Dive said, "We have been given instructions by the seniors to take decisions at the local level. We have decided to join hands." Dive, however, said he would inform senior leader Balasaheb Thorat about the decision later in the day, adding that all orders from the party high command would be followed.
While Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have met several times at various events since July and have given statements hinting at an alliance between their parties, the Congress is reportedly opposed to including MNS in the MVA fold.
Incidentally, speaking in Akola on November 8, NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar had hinted at taking MNS along in the Opposition camp, and had urged that the "Congress party should not take an extreme stance on the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, and should think about it".
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Source: EconomicTimes
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