Congress Fumes as Shiv Sena (UBT) Unilaterally Announces Candidates in Maharashtra, MVA Alliance Cracks Widens

The Shiv Sena (UBT), a constituent of the MVA, on Wednesday released its first list of 17 candidates. The list includes the contentious seats of Sangli and Mumbai South Central, where ally Congress also wants to field its own candidates.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) has named Chandrahar Patil and Anil Desai as candidates for the Sangli and Mumbai South Central seats, respectively.

Sangli was once a bastion of the Congress, but since 2014, the seat has been held by BJP MP Sanjay Patil. The Sena has denied the Congress’ claims on the seat by announcing Mr Patil as its candidate. According to Sena, they have swapped Sangli for Kolhapur, where the Congress has fielded Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, a descendant of legendary Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The Congress had also staked its claim on the Mumbai South Central seat, currently represented by Rahul Shewale of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. The Congress reportedly wanted to field its Mumbai president and former Maharashtra minister Varsha Gaikwad from there, but the Shiv Sena (UBT) has now announced Mr Desai, a trusted confidante of Mr Thackeray, whose Rajya Sabha term ended this year, as its candidate for the seat.

Congress legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat expressed unhappiness over the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena’s first list, saying the party should have avoided declaring candidates for seats about which discussions were still going on. “It is important that everyone follow the coalition dharma. We hope the Sena will rethink its decision,” he said.

Ms Gaikwad said she had conveyed her unhappiness to the party high command about the Sena’s decisions on Sangli and seats in Mumbai, which were still being discussed. “The Sena should not have done that. We will take further action based on guidance from the party leadership,” she said.

Former Congress MP Sanjay Nirupam urged his party to break the alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT). “I appeal to the Congress leadership to intervene or break the alliance with the Shiv Sena. I am not a person who is sitting without any option. I have all options open. Now it will be aar ya paar,” he said.

Mr Nirupam, who lost in the Mumbai North West constituency in the last two elections, wanted to contest the poll for a third time. However, the Sena (UBT) has announced Amol Kirtikar as its candidate for the seat.

When asked, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said “such things happen” in an alliance, adding that these dynamics will not affect the MVA. “We had a sitting MP in Ramtek, but the Congress candidate has even filed a nomination. So it’s fine. Alliances work like this,” he said.