Nagpur: MLAs of Maha Vikas Aghadi raise slogans during a protest against the state government, in Nagpur on December 20, 2022, during the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly session. Photo Credit: PTI
Controversy over Nashik graduate constituency seat The upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) elections have not only exposed the raging factionalism within the Maharashtra Congress but also cast a shadow over the future stability of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Congress and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi trio. Shiv Sena faction led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Last week, three-time MLC Sudhir Tambe, the Congress’s (and MVA’s) chosen candidate for the Nashik seat, abruptly withdrew his nomination, while his son, former Maharashtra Youth Congress president Satyajit Tambe, filed his nomination as an independent. announced candidacy. ,
Mr Satyajit insisted he remained loyal to the Congress, adding he would seek the support of all parties, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Congress high command has taken disciplinary action against the father-son duo, accusing them of ‘betraying’ the party.
But the implications of Tambe’s rebellion go far beyond the immediate local consequences. Mr. Satyajit is the nephew of senior Congress leader and former Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat.
According to sources, relations between Mr. Satyajit and the BJP escalated after Mr. Satyajit was upset over the party’s neglect of his aspirations, and allegedly over Mr. Thorat’s promotion of his daughter Jayshree Thorat.
The rift between the uncle and the nephew reflects the rift within the Maharashtra Congress, with the domino effect on Congress ties vis-à-vis the NCP and the Thackeray Sena.
The Tambe rebellion, which had scuttled the Congress, is now leading to the Nashik seat – a sure winner for the party – handed over to the Thackeray camp in exchange for the Nagpur teachers’ constituency seat, which was initially allotted to the Thackeray Sena. it was done. This swap essentially weakens the prospects for both parties in these seats, where neither is particularly strong.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has privately expressed his displeasure over the exchange. With the MVA in one place in Nashik and Nagpur, the ruling BJP is in the driver’s seat in the upcoming elections to five MLC seats to be held on January 30.
The Nashik incident has again raised the bar about ‘poor coordination’ among MVA partners. The embarrassment facing a tripartite confrontation can be traced back to the six-seat Rajya Sabha elections in Maharashtra in June last year, when the MVA government – then CM Uddhav Thackeray – was in power.
Based on the numbers of each party, the BJP was set to win two, the Congress and the NCP one each and the Shiv Sena the remaining two. Nevertheless, the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP rocked the MVA by winning a surprise victory on the sixth Rajya Sabha seat by garnering the support of independent MLAs believed to be loyal to the MVA.
While the RS election results triggered bitter recriminations within the MVA, there was worse to come: a few days later, the BJP managed to win all five of its candidates in the MLC elections for 10 seats.
The three MVA parties, each fielding two candidates, were expected to win six. However, the second Congress candidate crashed out, leading to allegations of cross-voting within the party in favor of the fifth BJP candidate. The double electoral debacle was punctuated that month with the biggest ever inter-party rebellion by Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde, splitting the Shiv Sena and bringing down the Thackeray-led MVA.
Now, Mr. Satyajit’s rebellion has raised the risk of a Congress exodus ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections. Party insiders say ticket distribution continues to trouble the Congress, with the party favoring older faces while ignoring young aspirations.
Adding to this is the leadership of current Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole – a former BJP man who is considered an ‘outsider’ by senior Congressmen such as Mr Thorat and Ashok Chavan.
The Nashik incident has proved so grave for NCP chief Sharad Pawar that he remarked that the controversy could have been prevented with systematic handling. With poor coordination on the MVA for the better part of 2022, the three parties – especially the Congress – need to work hard if they want to counter the might of the BJP and the Shinde Sena.