The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena UBT has firmly denied speculation of internal discord among the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies and asserted that it was committed to the coalition formed in 2019. This denial comes after media speculation that Thackeray is under pressure from party leaders to withdraw from the alliance following disappointing results in the recent Assembly elections.
The Shiv Sena UBT had emerged as the biggest gainer among its MVA allies, winning 20 seats in the elections, while the Congress won 16 and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP-SP coalition just about 10. Despite this relative success, the party has dismissed any notions of a split, insisting that there is “no truth” to the rumors. A party spokesperson said the commentary circulating in the media do not reflect the views of the Party leadership and described the reports as speculative.
On the question of Shiv Sena UBT contesting alone in the BMC elections, MP Sanjay Raut said that one should not jump to conclusions. “Why are you worried? The results of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections have just come in. We will see what to do next. The MVA leaders are capable of making decisions regarding the BMC polls,” he said, once again trying to show confidence in the coalition’s future.
