Congress to pull out of MVA soon amid Eknath Shinde govt proving majority: Sources

As per sources, Congress is likely to pull out of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance in Maharashtra. This development is expected in the next few days, sources added. An indication of the party's disgruntlement with NCP and Shiv Sena was reflected during the vote of confidence on Monday when multiple party MLAs including Ashok Chavan, Vijay Wadettiwar, Zeeshan Siddiqui and Dheeraj Deshmukh were absent. As a result, the opposition secured only 99 votes in the 288-member House whereas the ruling coalition comfortably proved its majority with 164 votes. The MVA government collapsed on June 30.

Congress' discomfort within MVA

Despite winning a comfortable majority of its own in the 2019 Assembly election, NDA could not form the government in 2019 over Shiv Sena's demand for the rotational CM post. After the imposition of the President's Rule in the State, BJP took a surprising step of joining hands with NCP's Ajit Pawar, who had reportedly promised the support of other legislators. However, the new Fadnavis-led government had to resign ahead of the SC-mandated floor test owing to the paucity of numbers. Subsequently, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the CM of Maharashtra backed by allies NCP and Congress on 28 November 2019.

Over the last couple of years, multiple Congress leaders have expressed their concerns over their party being neglected in the coalition government. In May 2020, Rahul Gandhi publicly stated that Congress was not the key decision-maker in Maharashtra. Indicating Congress' growing discomfort, the party's Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole has repeatedly asserted that his party will win a majority on its own in the next Assembly election. Stressing that many people are miffed over Congress' "growing influence" in the state, he also claimed that the then CM Uddhav Thackeray and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar are tracking his moves.

On 14 July 2021, Sena mouthpiece Saamana took a swipe at Patole over these remarks. When Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi summoned the Maharashtra Congress chief and other leaders to Delhi for a meeting on 20 August 2021, speculation was rife that he will be replaced. While he managed to retain his post, Patole was reportedly asked to refrain from making any controversial remarks affecting the MVA. The political situation in Maharashtra took a new turn in April this year as many Congress MLAs from the state called on Sonia Gandhi and reportedly complained about the Ministers from the party's quota.