As Uddhav Sena & MNS tie up, MVA leaders say alliance won’t fall apart

The Maharashtra Congress has been repeatedly emphasising that it won’t have an alliance with Uddhav Sena if it joined hands with MNS. As Uddhav Sena has finally joined hands, the MVA finds a cloud hanging over its head. ”Right now our concern is civic elections and not what will happen in future. Anyway, Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are far away,” he added.

Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP, which is part of the MVA, also feels that it will not disintegrate. ”No, I don’t think, MVA future is uncertain. MVA will remain intact,” Baramati MP Supriya Sule told this paper.

Sule, who is the working president of NCP-SP, said her party was currently holding dialogue with both Congress and Uddhav Sena for an alliance in Mumbai civic body polls. ”We are holding dialogue currently with both Congress and the Sena,” she said.

The Uddhav Sena however emphatically said that the MVA would not fall apart. ”Maha Vikas Aghadi will remain intact. MVA is not for civic elections it is supposed to fight bigger elections like the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections,” Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut told this paper. ”In fact, MNS will be part of the MVA in future elections,” Raut added.

Even as it has tied up with MNS, the Uddhav Sena is disappointed at the Congress response for Mumbai civic body elections. ”We were keen to have a tie up with Congress in Mumbai civic body elections. We even reached out to their Delhi leadership. We even offered them 70-80 seats in Mumbai. The Congress refused and has decided to go solo,” Raut said.

Congress MLC Satej Patil also said it is true that MVA is not together in Mumbai, but elsewhere it will remain united. ”Congress will do well in Mumbai civic body polls. And it will have major role to play,” he said.

Raut said the Congress believed it will win a good number of seats based on the votes of North Indians. ”We don’t think it will happen that way. The Congress will end up having 15-20 corporators,” he said.

Raut said both Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS will come out with flying colours in Mumbai civic elections. ”With the coming together of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, the entire atmosphere will change in Mumbai. The Marathi Manoos will feel that his hands have been strengthened and therefore Sena and MNS alliance would emerge truimphant. A Marathi Manoos will become the Mayor,” he said.