MVA tensions rise as Congress leaders pitch for going solo amid Uddhav Sena heat 

“Many of our workers have also expressed a desire to contest elections independently. However, these are personal opinions and not the official stance of the party. We are analysing the results of these (Assembly) elections and will decide on the future course of our action after discussions with the leadership,” said senior state Congress leader Vijay Waddetiwar.

The NCP(SP) leaders maintained silence, refraining from making any comments on the issue.

Sena (UBT) leader and Leader of the Opposition in the state Legislative Council Ambadas Danve again took aim at the Congress on Thursday. He accused the Congress of “overconfidence” ahead of the Assembly polls, claiming that its leaders were already discussing ministerial berths even before the elections had taken place.

“There were Congress leaders who, even before the elections, were already talking about which one of them would secure which ministry. There were ten contenders for the chief minister’s post. Had they projected Uddhav Thackeray as their CM face, we might have seen a 2-5% swing in our favour,” Danve said.

On Wednesday, Danve said that a section of the Sena (UBT) leaders and newly-elected MLAs had voiced concerns during a party meeting, held in Mumbai on Monday, about continuing their alliance with the Congress and the NCP and remaining part of the MVA. “Many of our MLAs believe that Shiv Sena (UBT) should forge an independent path, contest elections on its own, and not rely on any alliance. The Shiv Sena has never been about chasing power; it will come naturally when we remain true to our ideology,” he said.

A day later, Danve clarified that he was not suggesting a break-up of the MVA alliance. “Our primary concern is strengthening the party’s organisational structure across the state. Our goal is to solidify the party’s base in all 288 Assembly constituencies,” he said.

Danve also suggested that the Sena (UBT) might consider contesting the coming municipal elections independently. “For urban local bodies, alliance decisions are generally left to local leadership. We will see how things unfold when the municipal corporation elections are held,” he said.

Senior Uddhav Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut admitted that some party leaders have raised concerns about continuing its alliance with the MVA. “Some of our leaders, particularly those who lost the elections, felt that we should not have contested as part of the alliance. These are personal opinions, not party policy,” he said.

Raut also underlined that the MVA allies would hold a meeting to assess the situation and chart a future course of action. “All three parties have faced setbacks, and we are analysing the reasons which currently point to issues like EVMs and the misuse of money in elections. We need to come together and discuss. While we benefited in the Lok Sabha elections through the alliance, we did not succeed in the Assembly elections. Such decisions can’t be made in haste,” he said.

Raut pointed out that the Sena (UBT) would need to decide its strategy about how to approach the civic elections in the state. “For the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) and other municipal corporations, we will have to make a decision. However, the next Assembly and Lok Sabha elections are still five years away, and such decisions should not be rushed,” he added.

The Assembly poll results saw the incumbent BJP-led Mahayuti sweep the state by bagging 230 of the 288 seats, with the MVA managing to get just 46 seats including the Sena (UBT)’s 20, Congress’s 16 and NCP(SP)’s 10.