Mumbai: MVA alliance is for five years, not a permanent fixture, says Nana Patole

Also Read: In Shiv Sena we trust: NCP chief Sharad Pawar says MVA govt will last for five years

Congress, in its response to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s attack, said the three-party Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, was formed in Maharashtra for five years and is not a permanent fixture. State party president Nana Patole said there was no clarity in Thackeray's speech about who he was referring to.

"We formed MVA in 2019 for five years to stop the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This is not a permanent fixture. Every party has the right to strengthen its organisation. Congress has always given priority to providing relief to those affected by COVID-19 by making available blood, oxygen and plasma at various places," Patole said.

Patole said Thackeray made the comments on the occasion of the Shiv Sena's 55th foundation day as the party president and not as chief minister. His remarks came after the CM and Shiv Sena president, on Saturday, said people would ‘beat with footwear’ those who only talk about contesting polls alone without offering solutions to their problems. Thackeray has slammed Congress for its repeated announcement on going solo in the upcoming elections in Maharashtra.

Patole has been singing the tune that Congress will independently fight the ensuing elections to the local and civic bodies and the next assembly elections, and it will emerge as the single largest party to form the government. Patole also announced his desire to become the state CM and said he would like to be the Congress party’s CM candidate, if cleared by the high command, ahead of the next assembly elections.

It was not Patole alone, but Mumbai Regional Congress Committee chief Bhai Jagtap who also urged party president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday to allow the party to go solo in the ensuing elections to the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) slated for 2022.

Meanwhile, state NCP chief and Minister of Water Resources Jayant Patil said that, if Congress sticks to its announcement to go solo, then Shiv Sena and NCP will form the alliance for the upcoming elections in the state. “Even though Congress is now talking about fighting elections independently, I feel the three parties Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress will contest polls together,’’ he noted.

Shiv Sena Member of the Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut said the party has fought political battles on its own and hinted at taking Congress heads on if it comes to it. "It was the party's 55th foundation day yesterday. The CM and our party chief Uddhav Thackeray told the people who are speaking of contesting elections alone in Maharashtra, that if they do that, what will we do? Will we keep sitting? Those who want to contest, let them do it," he noted.

source https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-mva-alliance-is-for-five-years-not-a-permanent-fixture-says-nana-patole