The Maharashtra unit of the Congress Sunday said its alliance with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena UBT remains intact across the state and it will not be part of any alliance involving the ruling Mahayuti parties.
Maharashtra Congress chief Harshavardhan Sapkal said, “We have maintained our stand right from municipal council polls. It remained the same in the case of municipal corporation elections, too. And it will not change in the upcoming zilla parishad polls as well. We are ready to ally with any party from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, as per the suggestion of our local units. However, we will not ally with the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the NCP.”
Speaking after reviewing the party’s preparations for the upcoming zilla parishad elections in 12 districts, Sapkal also said the Congress would stay away from any alliance that included the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, irrespective of who else joined it. His statement comes amid reports suggesting a possible tie-up between the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) for rural local body polls.
“The alliance can only be with those in MVA or like-minded parties,” Sapkal said, adding that local units would take the final call on zilla parishad alliances as was done in the case of urban local body polls.
Responding to questions about the future of the Congress-Shiv Sena UBT alliance after the two parties fought separately in the Mumbai civic polls, Sapkal said they were working together elsewhere. “We are coming together in the Parbhani Municipal Corporation to win the mayoral post. We are with Uddhav Thackeray everywhere else. There seems to be no reason that we will break it,” he said.
Earlier, Sapkal accused the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh of destroying the Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi. “It was built by Maharashtra’s daughter and our pride, Ahilyadevi Holkar. The BJP government in the state and at the Centre must answer for the destruction it has caused to this holy place,” he said, warning of agitation over the issue.
