Mumbai: Whether or not to go with a chief-ministerial face in the Legislative Assembly elections in Maharashtra seems to be becoming a bone of contention among the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A) allies.
There are differences among the top leadership of the Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-headed Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) - and this has come out in the open.
The development comes after Thackeray, a former Chief Minister of the MVA, visited New Delhi and met Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who is the Congress President and Pawar.
The development is taking place when the MVA is drafting a joint manifesto which is being overseen by former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) is keen that a chief ministerial face is announced while Congress is opposed to any such move.
However, the NCP (SP) has not yet formally spelled out its stance.
“Let the Maha Yuti first declare their Chief Ministerial candidate,” said state NCP President Jayant Patil.
Chavan has earlier said that the party which gets the maximum seats would have the Chief Minister.
So far, the MVA has maintained that the Chief Minister would be decided after the outcome of polls, Thackeray’s close aide Sanjay Raut said that the MVA needs to declare its Chief Ministerial candidate before the polls.
Asked whether he was pitching for Thackeray as the Chief Minister, Raut said: “Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi have been at the forefront of raising their voice against policies of the BJP-led government at the Centre….There has to be a face, let me tell you..if Rahul Gandhi been the face (of the Opposition’s Prime Ministerial candidate) in the Lok Sabha polls, then we could have defeated (the BJP-led NDA). It was only after Rahul Gandhi accepted the post of the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha 's post, people got some confidence. We need to have a face for Assembly polls.”
In fact, earlier this week, during his visit to the national capital, Thackeray had dropped hints that he could be the Chief Ministerial candidate. "If my colleagues feel that I have done excellent work, then ask them whether they want me as the Chief Minister. People will decide,” he has said.
Reacting to Raut’s statement, state Congress President Nana Patole said: “We would go ahead as MVA…on the Chief Ministership issue, Thackeray himself had spoken on the issue.”
It may be mentioned that in October-November, 2019 after the Vidhan Sabha polls, Thackeray had broken ties with the BJP and joined the Congress-NCP Democratic Front to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi. While, it was sure that undivided Shiv Sena would get the CM's post as it has maximum seats, it was Pawar who insisted that Thackeray assume the top job to ensure stability. However, within two-and-a-half-years, the BJP succeeded in toppling the MVA and Thackeray resigned as the Chief Minister.