Big Republic Fadnavis Interview Impact: Congress Suspends 12 In Ambernath Over Alliance With BJP, Calls It Breach Of Party Discipline

New Delhi: As a part of the impact stirred by Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami's exclusive interview with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Congress has now suspended 12 members in the state, along with their block president in Ambernath, over a "violation of party discipline".

In a letter to the Ambernath Congress block president, Pradeep Patil, Vice President of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), Ganesh Patil wrote, "We contested the Ambernath Municipal Council elections on the Congress party symbol, and twelve members have been elected. However, it has come to our knowledge through the media that you have formed an alliance with the members of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Ambernath Municipal Council without informing the state office. This matter is extremely wrong and constitutes a breach of party discipline. Considering this matter, on the orders of the Hon'ble State President, Mr Harshvardhan Sapkal, you are being suspended from the Congress party. Your Block Congress Executive Committee is also being dissolved. Similarly, all the corporators who have violated party discipline along with you are also being suspended from the party."

Minutes after facing Arnab Goswami’s pressing question on the unexpected political association between the BJP and the Congress in Ambernath, Fadnavis also issued orders to break the controversial alliance and snapped ties with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). 

During the interview, Arnab Goswami caught the Maharashtra CM off guard when he enquired how a tactical understanding of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with Congress could work, despite its national stance of opposing the party. To that, Fadnavis bluntly responded, “It should not happen at all.”

An Unexpected Alliance

The BJP, the Congress, and the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar group) united in an unexpected alliance to establish the "Ambernath Vikas Aghadi." In the suburban city about 60 km away from Mumbai, this was done in an attempt to sideline the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Twelve Congress council members, four NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) council members, one independent corporator, and fourteen BJP council members made up the alliance. The move came as a surprise, given the BJP’s national stance of championing the cause of a “Congress‑free India.”

The interview with sharp questions raised in public interest about Fadnavis has evidently stirred changes in the political landscape of the state, ahead of the civic body polls. This surprising alliance, which has now received orders to be broken, is likely to be a result of the influence of the local leaders overpowering the ideology clash between the BJP, and the Congress.

In the interview, Fadnavis explained: “As far as I am aware of Ambernath, we were having an alliance with the nationalists. And we were also talking to Shiv Sena... Because the BJP and Shiv Sena are the number one and number two parties there… If the local people have made an alliance with Congress in this way, then I call it wrong.”

When Arnab Goswami questioned Fadnavis how such an alliance could even be formed, Fadnavis said, "See, these are small cities. Here, most of the times, decisions are taken at the local level. Not all the decisions reach me. We make the big decisions." He asserted during the interview that he would ask all the necessary questions in this regard. “But this is wrong. This should not happen,” he added.  When asked if he would accept a local‑level understanding between Congress and the BJP, he said he would not accept it. The exclusive interview has evidently had an impact on the political landscape of the state ahead of the civic polls.

Also read: 'Ajit Pawar Has No Presence In Mumbai': Devendra Fadnavis, Promises Investigation Into 'Parth Pawar Land Scam'