Exodus of leaders from Uddhav Sena & NCP(SP): Congress to ally with smaller parties
The party conducted a two-day meeting, in which, it said, the process of finalising candidates for the municipal council and municipal panchayat elections has been completed.
The Maharashtra Congress has decided to ally with smaller and “like-minded” parties for the upcoming local body elections, except with those from the ruling Mahayuti coalition.
Even as the Congress maintained that its alliance with its major Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies – Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) – remains intact, the party also raised concern over the exodus of workers and leaders from the allies to the ruling parties, especially BJP.
The party conducted a two-day meeting, in which, it said, the process of finalising candidates for the municipal council and municipal panchayat elections has been completed.
Speaking to the media after the meeting on Thursday, Congress state president Harshvardhan Sapkal said, “The candidature has been finalised after discussing with the local leadership. The political equations of each district are different. At the local level, an alliance has been formed after discussing with like-minded parties. While we are in alliance with the parties within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, in some districts, an alliance has been formed with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (led by Prakash Ambedkar), Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), Shetkari Sanghatana, and Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP).”
Sapkal said that no proposal has been received from any district regarding an alliance with the Raj Thackeray-led MNS.
According to sources, Congress will be allying with the VBA in at least 12 districts.
“On ground, the Mahayuti has poached almost entire organisational strength of parties led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. It is one of the darkest realities of this election,” a senior Congress legislator who attended the meeting said.
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The VBA, in the past, had announced a pact with Shiv Sena (UBT) giving rise to Bhimshakti- Shivshakti alliance before 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which, however, did not materialise.
As a result VBA fought independently, outside the MVA.
Now, Congress has sealed the alliance with VBA in Nanded, Chhatrapati Sambhajibagar and other districts.
The legislator said that in districts where Thackeray and Pawar-led parties are left with no organisational strength, the Congress is left with no option but to join hands with smaller parties outside Mahayuti.
“In Satara, it is RSP led by Mahadev Jankar. In Kolhapur, Raju Shetti’s Shetkari Sanghatana is our ally. In Raigad, PWP is a natural ally,” the leader said, accepting that at many places the party will have to go solo.
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Earlier, Maharashtra Congress Legislative party leader Vijay Wadettiwar demanded that the nomination process for the local bodies be made offline as well.
“The nomination form is of 20 pages. The tedious process is made such that applications of the Opposition parties be rejected at the last moment. We demand that the applications be accepted offline as well along with online,” said Wadettiwar, who also held a meeting with State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare.
Sources within the SEC, however, told The Indian Express that it has received no complaints from the candidates since the start date of nomination process.
In a press statement issued on Thursday evening, the SEC said that for the elections of municipal councils and municipal panchayats, only the information in the nomination form and affidavit is required to be filled on the website.
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“There is no need to upload any documents along with it. It is necessary to take a printout of the nomination form and affidavit filled in with complete information on the website, sign it and submit the entire set along with the necessary documents to the concerned Returning Officer within the prescribed time,” the State Election Commission has clarified.
Alok Deshpande is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized for his focused and authoritative reporting on governance, politics, and the socio-economic dynamics of Maharashtra's hinterlands. His unique academic background in Geology and early work in the water sector provides a specialized layer of Expertise to his reporting on resource and environmental issues.
Expertise
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express, Mumbai.
Core Authority: Alok provides detailed coverage of Maharashtra politics and governance, with a particular emphasis on how policies and power struggles affect the rural and semi-urban areas (the 'hinterlands').
Key Coverage Areas: His reports frequently focus on high-stakes administrative and political topics, including:
State Assembly Proceedings: In-depth reporting on the Legislative Assembly, covering ministerial statements, legislative debates, and inter-party conflict within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
Policy & Finance: Coverage of state finances, including supplementary budget demands, fiscal deficits, and major government schemes (e.g., Jal Jeevan Mission, Ladki Bahin Yojana).
Rural and Social Issues: Reports on critical health issues (e.g., child deaths in districts), human-animal conflict (leopard attacks, stray dogs), and agrarian concerns (e.g., farmer suicides).
Local and Urban Governance: Covers major announcements regarding urban development (e.g., BMC's OC amnesty scheme, pagdi system push) and local body elections, including political defections and alliance splits.
Unique Credentials & Trustworthiness
Academic Specialization: Holds a Post-graduate degree in Geology. This background gives him a foundational understanding of natural resources, which directly informs his reporting on environment, water, and infrastructure projects.
Early Professional Experience: His shift to journalism came after working with an NGO focused on the water sector. This practical experience strengthens his Expertise in critical areas like water management and rural development, as evidenced by his reporting on the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Journalism Training: An alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai, confirming his formal training and commitment to rigorous journalistic standards.
Alok Deshpande's rare combination of scientific education, non-profit sector experience, and deep political reporting makes him a highly trusted and authoritative voice on the governance and ground realities of Maharashtra.
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