Mumbai:
In a blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the Opposition in Maharashtra, the Samajwadi Party has decided to quit the alliance following a controversial comment by a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray on the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
On the 32nd anniversary of the demolition of the Babri Mosque, Milind Narvekar, a leader of Shiv Sena (UBT) posted a picture of the mosque, accompanied by a quote from Shiv Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray, which said: “I am proud of those who did this.”
M Narvekar's post also featured images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and himself.
— Milind Narvekar (@NarvekarMilind_) December 5, 2024
The Samajwadi Party has two MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly. After the MVA parties skipped the oath-taking ceremony today, Samajwadi Party state president Abu Asim Azmi and party leader Rais Shaikh defied the boycott call and took oath.
“An advertisement was placed by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished the Babri Mosque. His (Uddhav Thackeray) aide also posted on . “We are leaving the MVA. I am speaking to Akhilesh Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party President). If someone in the MVA speaks such language, what is the difference between the BJP and them? Why should we stay with them?”
Besides the Samajwadi Party's two victories in the Maharashtra elections, the Congress contested 103 seats but managed to win only 16. The Shiv Sena (UBT), which fielded candidates in 89 constituencies, won 20 seats, while the NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, contested 87 seats and emerged victorious in just 10 seats.
“Milind Narvekar, who is from Uddhav Thackeray's party, posted a tweet and we only responded to him. The MVA was formed on the basis of two important principles: protecting the Constitution and upholding secular values. Shiv Sena has got votes in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha in the name of the MVA, with support from people of all faiths and secular-minded individuals,” said Samajwadi leader Rais Shaikh.
The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction and Ajit Pawar's NCP faction, won 230 of the 288 seats. This was followed by the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, with Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister on December 5.
Shiv Sena should think about this. There has been a minimum commitment to set aside radical Hindu ideologies, but if such a radical stand is taken, parties like the Samajwadi Party and others will have to reconsider their position. This is our perspective. Uddhav's Shiv Sena to address this issue and clarify why such sentiments are being expressed,” Mr Shaikh added.
Newly elected MLAs of the MVA alliance today staged a walkout during the swearing-in ceremony of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, alleging that the ruling Mahayuti coalition's victory was achieved through manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
MVA leaders gathered at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at the Maharashtra Assembly to explain their stand.
“We boycotted the oath-taking ceremony today because democracy is being killed by the use of EVMs. This (the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections) is not the mandate of the public, but the mandate of the EVM and the Election Commission of India. said Aditya Thackeray.
Other senior opposition leaders, including Congress's Nana Patole and NCP's Jitendra Awhad, expressed concern over what they called an “undemocratic attitude” of the ruling alliance and reiterated the demand that elections be held using ballot papers instead of EVMs.