Mumbai: The Congress is standing firm on contesting the Sangli, Bhiwandi and south-central Mumbai Lok Sabha seats, given that there is no agreement on the seat-sharing formula for the upcoming elections among either the ruling Mahayuti or the opposing Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners in sight.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) faction has declared its list of 17 candidates and since the possibility of a consensus is practically ruled out, the Congress has decided to take in hand the three seats it has its heart set on; 'friendly fights' in these constituencies are likely to ensue. These developments may lead to the widening of the faultlines in the MVA.
Sources said that at a meeting held on Thursday, Sharad Pawar instructed the alliance partners to face the elections unitedly without bringing internal disputes to the fore. Uddhav Thackeray, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat and other leaders were also present. This was when Congress leaders upheld their claim on the Sangli, Bhiwandi and Mumbai south-central seats, declaring their unwillingness to cede any ground.
Sharad Pawar Acts As Mediator
The issue has been discussed many times during previous meetings. Sharad Pawar himself had mediated and tried to forge a consensus. Mediation from the Congress high command in Delhi has yielded no results either. Instead, the issue is becoming increasingly contentious.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) faction has reluctantly declared candidates for Sangli and south-central Mumbai constituencies, which were already claimed by the Congress; whereas the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) is eyeing the Bhiwandi constituency. The NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) may adopt a different policy if the Congress decides to contest the seat, and this has aggravated the problem.
In this backdrop, Congress leaders held an online meeting on Friday, in the presence of Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala. However, even this meeting failed to reach a consensus. Therefore, the solution of 'friendly fights' is being mulled. Now, it is being hoped that a solution may emerge at a meeting scheduled on Monday.
Sena UBT's Unilateral Announcements Angered Congress Workers
Maharashtra Congress leader Naseem Khan on Friday said that the unilateral announcement of candidates by the Shiv Sena (UBT) had angered his party workers. He added, “We met today and decided to communicate to the central leadership that we will have friendly fights on some seats, namely Sangli, Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai North-West and some other places.”
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said such fights would only help the BJP. Taking a swipe at its MVA ally, he said, “Congress is a mature party ” He said in jest that such friendly fights should happen on all 48 seats in Maharashtra as well as in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Raut asserted there will be no discussion on seats anymore.
