Political alliances in Maharashtra are showing significant cracks as the first phase of local body elections begins, with both the ruling Mahayuti and opposition Mahayuti Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalitions experiencing internal conflicts and public mudslinging among their partners.
MVA Alliance Faces Internal Strife
The opposition MVA alliance is encountering serious challenges in maintaining unity ahead of crucial municipal corporation polls. The situation escalated when NCP (SP) openly criticized its alliance partner Congress for fielding candidates independently in the Jamkhed Municipal Council election, where Sharad Pawar's party is already competing against BJP.
Rohit Pawar, state general secretary of NCP (SP), launched a sharp attack on Congress, stating: "I have no complaints against the Congress central and state leadership. But the Jamkhed unit of Congress is acting like a B-team of BJP. They have sold AB forms to candidates in lieu of money. They are contesting polls only to help BJP."
Congress Reluctance on MNS Creates Further Tension
The alliance faces additional strain over Congress's reluctance to include Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the opposition coalition. While Congress remains opposed to MNS's inclusion, NCP (SP) supports bringing the party into the alliance, especially given the near-certain political reunion between Raj and Uddhav Thackeray.
These differences emerged even before the official announcement of municipal corporation poll schedules, with the Jamkhed local body election becoming the first flashpoint between Congress and NCP (SP).
Mahayuti Coalition Also Shows Cracks
The ruling Mahayuti alliance is experiencing similar internal conflicts across various local bodies. In Solapur's Angar Nagar Panchayat, tensions surfaced when former MLA and BJP member Rajan Patil's son warned that NCP chief Ajit Pawar "should not cross the path of people of Angar." This statement came after an NCP candidate's application for the chairperson's post was rejected.
The conflict has extended to Pune district's Talegaon Municipal Council election, where NCP and BJP have come to loggerheads. Sunil Shelke, NCP MLA from Maval, accused the local BJP unit of distributing money to voters during the campaign.
Shelke made a bold statement urging voters: "The local BJP unit has not been able to show any development work during the campaign. Therefore, they have started distributing money. I appeal to voters to accept the money, but vote for NCP candidates in local bodies."
The growing tensions within both major political alliances indicate a challenging political landscape in Maharashtra as local body elections gain momentum, with partners increasingly willing to publicly criticize each other while competing for political dominance at the grassroots level.
