The defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Karnataka has given a boost to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra, according to state NCP chief Jayant Patil. He said that the MVA, comprising the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and Congress, will take small parties along and put up a united challenge to the ruling party in the 2024 elections. The MVA leaders, including Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray and state Congress chief Nana Patole, attended a meeting at NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in Mumbai.
Patil stated that the MVA will work out a seat-sharing formula ahead of the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections, due in the second half of next year. He expressed confidence that the MVA will win the trust of the people in Maharashtra, similar to what happened in Karnataka. Patil added that MVA leaders have decided to hold talks with other small parties and hope to present a united opposition to the current dispensation in the country in 2024.
The NCP chief noted that the MVA has suspended its public rallies, titled ‘Vajramooth,’ due to rising temperatures in the state. However, they will resume after the summer heat subsides. The rallies can be arranged in June, and if the rains start early, they will be organized indoors, he added.
In the recent Karnataka elections, the Congress won 135 seats out of 224, while the ruling BJP and the former prime minister HD Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.
The MVA is hoping to replicate the success of the Congress in Karnataka by presenting a united opposition to the BJP. The Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress came together after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections to form the MVA government in the state. The alliance has faced several challenges, including disagreements over various issues, but it has managed to stay together so far. The MVA is hoping that it can continue to work together and present a strong opposition to the BJP in the upcoming elections.
