Maharashtra Assembly polls: MVA needs to present united front to bring about change after Maharashtra Assembly election, says Sharad Pawar
The HinduThe Maha Vikas Aghadi — comprising the Congress, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party — will jointly contest the upcoming Maharashtra election, the NCP chief said on Sunday, emphasising that the Opposition coalition must present a united front to bring about political change. Buoyed by the MVA’s remarkable performance in the parliamentary poll, Mr. Pawar said that the alliance had firmly set its sights on winning the Assembly election expected to be held in October this year. ‘Collective face’ When asked who would be the MVA’s Chief Ministerial face, Mr. Pawar remained noncommittal, reiterating that all three parties together were going before the electorate as “a collective face of the MVA coalition”. The Congress, NCP and Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena will jointly contest the election,” he said, adding, “Although seat-sharing discussions have not yet begun, they will start soon.” Mr. Pawar, a former Union Minister and four-time Chief Minister of the State, said that the MVA had received tremendous encouragement in the Lok Sabha poll result from Maharashtra, where the Opposition won 30 of the 48 seats, with an independent later pledging his alliance to the MVA as well. Confirming the meeting, the NCP chief said: “If they feel the need to come over to our side for the sake of Maharashtra’s welfare, then we will welcome them.” Possible defectors Rumours of leaders – including several MLAs – from Mr. Ajit Pawar’s camp switching to his uncle’s party ahead of the Assembly election have long been in the air, with NCP leaders Rohit Pawar and Jayant Patil lending voices to such speculation.