'Should Not Happen At All': Maharashtra CM Fadnavis Reacts As BJP Allies With Congress To Snatch Ambernath Civic Body From Sena

New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in an exclusive conversation with Republic Media Network Editor-In-Chief Arnab Goswami on January 7, took a dig at rare alliance between BJP and Congress in the township of Ambernath in Thane after the recent local body elections. 

Goswami, in conversation with Fadnavis, questioned the CM on the alliance, stating how can there be a tactical understanding between Congress and BJP. 

Fadnavis, in his response said, "It should not happen at all." He added, “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 BJP and Shiv Sena are the number one and number two parties there. Our Chief Minister has chosen them. Their people have also chosen them. But if the local people have made an alliance with Congress in this way, then I call it wrong. This should not happen.”

The CM, in an exclusive conversation, further stressed he will question this alliance and when asked if he will accept a local level alliance with Congress and BJP, he asserted saying, “no, I will not accept it.”

Arnab Goswami further asked how did this alliance occur, to which Fadnavis replied saying, "See, these are small cities. Here, decisions are made at the local level many times. We don't get all the decisions. We get big decisions. Sometimes, we don't get small decisions. Sometimes, what is local convenience? For example, our friend's party's leader and our party's leader, sometimes they have so much enmity, that they don't want to let him sit, so he takes someone else. But this is wrong. This should not happen."

All about The Rare Alliance

An unexpected political realignment in Maharashtra’s Ambernath Municipal Council after the BJP has joined hands with the Congress to secure power, sidelining the Shiv Sena headed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has stirred up the Maharashtra politics.

Despite projecting itself nationally as a champion of a Congress-free India, the BJP chose to align with its traditional rival.

In a surprise move, the BJP has joined hands with councillors from Congress and the Ajit Pawar-headed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi and take control of a municipal council in the Mumbai region.

Pawar-headed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form the Ambernath Vikas Aghadi and take control of a municipal council in the Mumbai region elected. 

Despite becoming the single-largest party, Shiv Sena suffered a setback in election to the municipal president’s post, where its candidate Manisha Walekar lost to BJP nominee Tejashree Karanjule Patil.

The development has sparked sharp resentment within the Shiv Sena, a party with which the BJP shares power in Maharashtra, but now pushed out of the power equation in Ambernath.

The BJP, however, has dismissed the criticism, with BJP vice-president Gulabrao Karanjule Patil saying that an alliance with the Shiv Sena would have been truly unholy.

Parties Lock Heads

Terming the alliance an “indecent alliance", the recent developments have caused widespread discontent within the Shiv Sena where the leaders hit out at BJP, which advocates for a Congress-free India.

MLA Dr Balaji of the Shinde group accused the BJP of attacking the Shiv Sena by allying with the Congress. The Shiv Sena described this alliance as a stab in the back, while the BJP rejected these allegations.

BJP  vice president Gulabrao Karanjule Patil, rejectiong the allegations, hit back at the Shinde group, saying that if formed an alliance with the Shinde group, which has been involved in corruption for the past 25 years, that would have been an inappropriate alliance.

He also claimed that he had tried several times to discuss a grand alliance with the Shinde group for the Ambernath Municipal Council, but received no response from their leaders.

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