Congress, Sena (UBT) trade barbs over shock BJP victory in Chandrapur polls

Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Shiv Sena UBT and the Congress on Wednesday traded sharp barbs over the political developments in Maharashtrarsquos Chandrapur civic body after the Thackerayled party backed the BJP in the mayoral election held a day earlier according to the news agency PTIShiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut blamed the Congress for the ldquomessrdquo saying it should be ldquoashamedrdquo for failing to assume power in Chandrapur despite emerging as the single largest party The Congress retaliated in similar language and demanded clarity from its allyThe crisis erupted after a surprise understanding between the Sena UBT and the BJP resulted in the election of a BJP mayor in the Chandrapur Municipal Corporation dealing a blow to the Congress which had the numbers to stake claim to the postBJPrsquos Sangeeta Khandekar won the mayoral election by a single vote defeating Congress candidate Vaishali Mahadule with the Thackerayled party extending support to the saffron party Sena UBT corporator Prashant Danav was elected deputy mayorThe development raised serious questions over Opposition unity and the viability of the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVAChandrapur is one of the few municipal corporations where the Congress had emerged as the largest party and was poised to secure the mayorrsquos post However deep internal divisions between factions led by Vijay Wadettiwar and Pratibha Dhanorkar handed an opening to the BJPRaut blames Congress for Chandrapur lsquomessrsquoRaut on Wednesday sought to blame the Congress for the ldquomessrdquo He said the Congress should be ldquoashamedrdquo of not being able to assume power in Chandrapur despite emerging as the single largest party adding that there was no point blaming his party for the political twist reported PTITalking to reporters in New Delhi Raut said the decision by Sena UBT corporators to back the BJP in the mayoral polls was taken at the local level and not by the party leadershipWhile the BJP shares power with the Eknath Shindeled Shiv Sena and the NCP in the Mahayuti government in the state the Sena UBT Sharad Pawarrsquos NCP SP and the Congress are constituents of the Opposition MVARaut said Uddhav Thackeray had given clear instructions to party functionaries in Chandrapur not to help the BJP in any way even if that meant sitting in the OppositionlsquoNot a tieup with BJPrsquo clarifies RautldquoStill due to the Congressrsquos mess local Shiv Sena UBT leaders made the decision This does not mean we have joined hands with the BJPrdquo the Rajya Sabha member said reported PTIHe said the Congress should be ashamed that despite having the highest number of corporators it could not secure power in ChandrapurIn the elections held for the 66member civic body last month the Congress emerged as the single largest party with 27 seats followed by the BJP with 23The Sena UBT won six seats the Bharatiya Shetkari Kamgar Paksh Janvikas Sena three the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi VBA two while the All India MajliseIttehadul Muslimeen AIMIM the Bahujan Samaj Party BSP and the Shiv Sena secured one seat each Two Independents were also electedldquoWho is responsible for this This should be probed at the highest level There is no point blaming the Shiv Sena UBTrdquo Raut said reported PTIHe further said the VBA and the AIMIM did not back the Congress in the mayoral polls because there was no unanimity within the partyTalking to PTI state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal said the Shiv Sena UBT should explain why it gave a free hand to its corporators to vote for the BJPldquoOur corporators stayed united and did not crossvote If you had an issue with our infighting you could have abstained or remained absent during the voting for the mayorrsquos postrdquo he saidSapkal said the Congress was in touch with the Shiv Sena UBT leadership which had assured that at no point would its corporators vote for the BJPCongress spokesperson Atul Londhe told PTI that the Shiv Sena UBT should be ashamed of itself as it claims to oppose the BJP but supports it when it suits its political interestsWith PTI inputs