Congress warns Shiv Sena over remark on UPA: 'Being in MVA govt not a priority for us'

In a clear warning to Shiv Sena, the Congress party made it clear that it would not hesitate to quit the Maharashtra government if anyone speaks against its leadership. Speaking at a function to mark the party's Foundation Day on Monday, Mumbai Congress working president Charan Singh Sapra maintained that the party's foremost priority was respect for its leadership. On December 26, Sena MP Sanjay Raut had publicly questioned the Congress leadership citing that a "weak opposition is bad for democracy". 

Calling for more opposition parties to unite under the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, Raut reiterated that NCP supremo Sharad Pawar should replace Sonia Gandhi as the UPA chairperson. Sapra pointed out that Congress was not just the principal opposition party in 8 states but also at the forefront of challenging the Modi government at the national level. Taking a dig at the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, he contended that a "regional party" should not offer advice to a "national party". Earlier, senior Congress leader and state PWD Minister Ashok Chavan had asked Shiv Sena not to comment on his party's leadership as it is not a part of the UPA. 

Mumbai Congress working president Charan Singh Sapra remarked, "For us, being in the government is not our priority. For us, the party is our priority. Our party's leader is the priority. If anyone speaks against our leader, the Congress party will not tolerate it. Today, there is a Congress government in 5 states. In nearly 8 states, we are the principal opposition party. Congress workers are present in every taluka and district of the country. If someone gives advice to the country's main opposition party, we will not accept it. Who is giving the advice? A regional party should not give advice to a national party."

Read: Cong Urges MVA Allies To Follow Coalition Dharma Post Pawar's Assessment Of Rahul Gandhi

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Congress' role in Maha Vikas Aghadi

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 new allies NCP and Congress on November 28, 2019. In the last few months, multiple Congress leaders including Balasaheb Thorat have expressed their concerns over their party being neglected in the coalition government. In May, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had publicly stated that Congress was not the key decision-maker in Maharashtra. Recently, the Sonia Gandhi-led party also locked horns with NCP over Sharad Pawar's unflattering assessment of Rahul Gandhi. 

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