Amid reports that the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction may reunite with the Ajit Pawar faction for the upcoming local elections, the Congress has warned that such an alliance would not be acceptable to them. This comes as the Grand Old Party, a major alliance partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, expressed its displeasure over the Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS merger.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar told reporters on Wednesday that the Congress wanted to fight the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, but was unwilling to join hands with Raj Thackeray’s MNS. The leadership has now warned the NCP against merger with Ajit Pawar, stating it would face the Pune Municipal Corporation elections on its own rather than align with Ajit.
“We have heard that both the NCP parties are coming together in Pune. We are talking to Sharad Pawar about it. If both NCPs come together, then we have no choice. We will contest the elections separately,” Wadettiwar said.
Wadettiwar’s ultimatum has exposed the infighting within the MVA over the local body elections.
Meanwhile, local reports hint that NCP founding president Sharad Pawar is holding separate talks with three parties simultaneously for the municipal elections. In Pune, he is negotiating to include his nephew Ajit Pawar in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, while in Mumbai, he is reportedly holding talks with the Shiv Sena Thackeray faction and the Congress, two parties that are pitted against each other.
The word is that Sharad Pawar's talks with Uddhav Thackeray's group in Mumbai and has demanded 50 seats. The NCP backed down in the negotiations and settled for 30 seats. However, it is understood that Uddhav informed Sharad Pawar that it was not possible to give more than 10 seats.
Speculations are that the Sharad Pawar group has prepared to contest 50 seats if they do not reach an agreement with Thackeray.
Despite Wadettiwar’s warning, Sharad Pawar is also in talks with the Congress for Mumbai, Pune, and Pimpri Chinchwad. He has asked for more than 40 seats in Pune and the group is expecting 25 to 30 seats in Pimpri Chinchwad as well. The Congress has not yet responded.