In a show of unity being put up by the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ahead of the State Assembly polls, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) President and ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray will attend the 80th birth anniversary function of late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi organised by Maharashtra and Mumbai Congress at the Shanmukhnanda Hall at Sion in north-central Mumbai on Tuesday.
To be attended by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, the grand ceremony on Tuesday will draw together the Leaders from Congress’ allies in the MVA and INDIA block. The two senior Leaders, Pawar and Uddhav who have specially been invited to late Gandhi’s 80th year birthday celebrations invitation have also consented to join.
The Congress — together with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena-will showcase the MVA unity at the Tuesday’s function being held in the run-up to the Maharashtra Assembly polls to be held in October 2024 or little later. This comes close on the heels of a joint campaign for the State Assembly polls launched by the three MVA constituents on August 16 for the Maharashtra Assembly polls.
Fresh from its superlative performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls - in which its three constituents Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) collectively won 31 out of the total 48 seats in the recent Lok Sabha polls, the MVA is gung ho about going to the State Assembly polls.
Given that the MVA has not finalised the seat-sharing arrangement and Chief Ministerial candidates for the State Assembly polls, Kharge, Pawar and Uddhav are likely to discuss the two poll-related issues on the sidelines of Tuesday’s function.
On his part, Uddhav - who was himself the Chief Minister of the previous MVA Government - has made it clear that he is all for amicable seat-sharing arrangement for the State Assembly polls and that he is not pushing his name for the Chief Minister’s post.
“Given that the seat-adjustments talks are currently on, let’s settle the matters in a give-and-take manner.... Even in the case of the Chief Ministerial candidate’s choice, let’s not make issues. Let the NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar announce their candidates, I will support their choice. But, let’s not squabble over the sharing of seats,” Uddhav had said at the joint MVA meeting held on August 16.
“I don’t think I am fighting the polls for myself but I am for the rights of Maharashtra. My opinion is that the Chief Ministerial candidate must be decided first, rather than going by the logic that the Chief Minister will be the party which wins the most seats in the polls,” the Sena (UBT) Chief had said.
