Poll talks: NCP wants MNS, Congress says no, as smaller parties watch, meet

Congress Mumbai president Sanjay Nirupam said there was no question of them going with the Raj Thackeray-led party. “The politics the MNS does is against Congress ideologies and politics. They don’t believe in the Constitution. The MNS politics is based on caste and community, where people are beaten up.”

At the meeting held last week where the NCP made the suggestion, the Congress also cited the MNS’s anti-migrant politics to reject it. A dalliance with the MNS would hurt its electoral prospects in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan and Delhi, the Congress argued.

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While conceding that the MNS had fared poorly in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and Assembly polls — winning 0 and one seat respectively, NCP leaders back allying with Raj Thackeray for being “very vocal against the PM and BJP government”. Said an NCP leader, “He has the ability to make his points in public very strongly.”

Meanwhile, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president Raju Shetty, who is set to meet Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) president Prakash Ambedkar on October 6 for talks, has urged the Congress, NCP to show more accommodation towards smaller parties, in a bid to dislodge the BJP.

Confirming the meeting with the BBM, Shetty told The Indian Express, “The unrest among people following increasing caste and community conflicts does not auger well for any state. Maharashtra has always believed in Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar’s social reforms, progressive ideologies and work… It is our effort to bring all like-minded secular organisations on a common platform to defeat communal forces.”

Categorically ruling out any alliance with the BJP, for “the dictatorial style of the Modi government and for failed agricultural promises”, he also urged the Congress and NCP to not take them for granted. “They need to take a step back to make space for new partners. After all, smaller groups transfer their vote share in favour of Congress-NCP candidates and get them elected. Therefore, they also have to ensure that small groups grow.”

Shetty suggested working out a “common minimum agenda”. “This will ensure that even smaller organisations set some issues aside and work on common issues. For example, the AIMIM is known as an extremely aggressive party. It will have to change its style.”

On his meeting with Shetty, Ambedkar said their talks follow the BBM’s pre-poll pact with the AIMIM, finalised recently. “We are reaching out to more groups.”