Maharashtra assembly elections: Uddhav Thackeray sets the ball rolling

Updated On: 28 October, 2024 04:03 PM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra Jore

To be or not to be, that is the question over the CM’s face for two other MVA partners

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Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar during the gathering of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) workers and office-bearers ahead of state Assembly elections in Mumbai on Friday. Pic/PTI

Dharmendra Jore Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray lifted the curtains on suspense over his move to speak at the beginning of the MVA conclave in Mumbai last week. In political functions, the senior leaders address the gatherings after their juniors are done. But this time, Thackeray changed the protocol and opened the innings. He set the agenda that hogged the limelight and headlines and sent tongues wagging in the Opposition and ruling camps. He said he was not in the chief minister’s race, and he would support any face the Congress and NCP chose to project in the Assembly elections. But in return, he demanded unity and freedom from infighting in the alliance, which put up a good show in the Lok Sabha elections. Congress leader Nana Patole said the decision was not in his hands. NCP (SP) boss Sharad Pawar said the top priority was to change the government, and indicated that the rest could happen later.

Sena’s say

Last week, this column discussed the projection of various leaders as the next CM and the politics behind it. In the meantime, Thackeray had visited Delhi to discuss MVA’s future course with the Congress leaders. It is said he had discussed it with Pawar, too. Going by his party leaders’ media talk, Thackeray would be the best bet for the MVA’s face. But it seems now that the alliance partners were unwilling to buy UBT Sena’s proposal, which is still being marketed by Thackeray’s associates, who believe that Thackeray had won people’s hearts as the CM, and scored more political points than ever when he quit during the party coup of 2022.

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