Amid rumours of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray planning to leave the INDIA bloc, Maharashtra NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) president Jayant Patil on Thursday emphasised former's commitment to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, saying that "there is no chance that he will switch sides."
The rumours started after Uddhav Thackeray skipped a key INDIA bloc meeting held in New Delhi on Wednesday, a day after Lok Sabha election results.
Shiv Sena, a party founded by the late Balasaheb Thackeray, was split in two after a rebellion by the now Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde in 2022 against the then CM and party chief Uddhav Thackeray. While the Shinde camp joined hands with BJP-led NDA, the Thackeray faction remained with the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance which includes Congress and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction).
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, Shiv Sena (UBT) and BJP each secured nine seats in Maharashtra. The opposition bloc, including Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress, achieved success by winning 30 out of 48 seats in the state.
'No Chance': NCP On Rumours Of Thackeray Planning To Join NDA
Jayant Patil, alongside NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, clarified Uddhav Thackeray's dedication to the MVA on Thursday.
During a press conference, Patil assured of Thackeray's focus on establishing an MVA government in anticipation of the upcoming state assembly polls in October.
"There is no chance that he will switch sides," Patil said when asked about speculation that started after Thackeray skipped a key INDIA bloc meeting held in New Delhi on Wednesday and reports in a section of the media about backchannel moves for a rapprochement with the BJP-led grouping.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut represented the party in the meeting.
Patil said Thackeray, a former chief minister, is geared up to install a coalition government in the state, where assembly polls are due in October this year.
As discussions about potential shifts in loyalties among MVA leaders surfaced, Patil refrained from elaborating but highlighted the unrest among the public towards the current state government.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress (TMC) General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Thursday met Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai. Both the Sena (UBT) and Trinamool Congress are part of the Opposition alliance.
