Maharashtra: Five Shiv Sena Corporators join NCP as turbulence hits MVA

In another jolt to the tripartite Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, five Shiv Sena Corporators from Parner Nagar Panchayat in Ahmednagar joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati on Saturday. Dr. Mudassir Sayyad, Nandkumar Deshmukh, Kishan Gandhade, Vaishali Auti and Nanda Deshmane have joined the NCP.

CM Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar's NCP and Congress run the coalition government in Maharashtra since December last year.

A senior NCP Minister in Maharashtra Cabinet told ANI, "This development has come due to local equations of Parner and Ahmednagar. It won't have any impact on MVA at state level."

As per reports, NCP MLA Nilesh Lanke, who was present when the corporators made the switch, said that the five members were also reportedly in talks with the BJP. However, the senior leadership of the NCP was of the opinion that Shiv Sena members joining the BJP might hurt the ruling MVA coalition at the state, hence it was NCP which approached the five aforementioned members and offered the alternative to Sena.

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This comes as the deepening rift between the Maha Vikas Aghadi became evident after CM Thackeray revoked a transfer order issued by Mumbai police, according to sources. Home Minister Anil Deshmukh says that the Mumbai Commissioner had reportedly issued transfer orders of 10 Mumbai Police DCPs on Friday, without consulting Thackeray or himself.

Allies miffed with Thackeray

Several ministers from NCP and Congress have accused Uddhav Thackeray of depending more on bureaucrats than his alliance partners, alleging that they were being 'sidelined'. Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat, minister Ashok Chavan have openly stated that the party has had no say in any of the decision being taken by the Thackeray-government. All three allies have maintained that the alliance is safe.

There has been discontent among the Sena-NCP-Congress govt since the cabinet expansion in January. There has a feeling in the Sena camp that the NCP has walked away with not only the highest number of portfolios but also the most important ones as the Sena, for example, had to cede the Home and the Finance portfolio. Apart from this, Congress and Sena have been at loggerheads since the formation of the alliance over issues like Hindutva, CAA, NRC, Ram Janmabhoomi, Savarkar, COVID-19 etc, with NCP playing the peacemaker.

(With ANI inputs)

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