In its first meeting after govt fell, MVA resolves to fight state, LS polls together

The meeting was attended by former CM and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who on Friday made his first appearance in the state legislature after resigning from the CM’s post.

Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray arrives for the meeting at Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan. (Express Photo by Deepak Joshi)

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), in a first meeting of all three allies after the fall of its government in Maharashtra, reportedly decided on Tuesday that Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress will contest both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls together. However, a decision on local body polls will be taken based on area-wise inputs, sources said.

The meeting was attended by former CM and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, who on Friday made his first appearance in the state legislature after resigning from the CM’s post.

“We three parties fought a pandemic like Covid-19, which brought the world to its knees, successfully. This obstacle (Shinde-Fadnavis government) is a very minor one compared to that. We shall overcome and we standing together will send a message to the country,” Thackeray told mediapersons after the meeting.

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The meeting was held in the Shiv Sena legislative party office on the third floor of state legislature. The venue of the meeting was chosen to not only press upon Sena’s leadership in the MVA but also to send a message to the rebel Eknath Shinde camp that the Thackeray faction is the official Shiv Sena.

Apart from Thackeray, the meeting was attended by all senior leaders of MVA, including NCP’s Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and Dilip Walse Patil, Congress’ Balasaheb Thorat, Prithviraj Chavan and Ashok Chavan as well as Rais Sheikh of the Samajwadi Party.

Flanked by Congress state president Nana Patole, Thackeray said that MVA stands together as strong as it was before. On coming elections, he said, “We have met after a long time. Let us first discuss and decide further strategy.” Patole, too, said, “The MVA is together and we wanted to send this message through today’s meeting.”

Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray said the meeting is a part of the usual process to ensure better coordination between MLAs and the leadership.

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A senior Congress MLA, who attended the meeting, said it was also important to send a message that all those who have stayed back are still together and will remain so. “We are confident that the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections, if fought unitedly, will be ours. It has been decided that elections will be fought together under the MVA banner.”

A senior NCP leader said that general consensus in the meeting was that MVA should contest all polls except that of local bodies, together. “The people have not liked what happened and we feel that the manner in which the current directionless government is working, we will have a better chance to win,” he added.

Amid speculation on whether Thackeray will head MVA after Sena was reduced to junior partner in the coalition, the Sena chief was given a chair in the middle as a symbolic gesture.