The discord within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in Maharashtra came to light on Wednesday as Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam launched a blistering attack on the Shiv Sena (UBT) for prematurely announcing Lok Sabha candidates for four Mumbai seats.
During a press conference, Nirupam criticized the Shiv Sena (UBT) for declaring Amol Kirtikar’s candidacy for the Mumbai North-West seat, labeling it a “violation of alliance principles” and dubbing the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader a “khichdi chor” (someone who steals mixed food). He accused the party of promoting candidates involved in irregularities, citing Kirtikar’s summons by the Enforcement Directorate regarding alleged misconduct in distributing ‘khichdi’ to migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Seeking the intervention of Congress leadership, Nirupam accused the Shiv Sena (UBT) of marginalizing the Congress in Mumbai by allocating only one of the six seats to the party. He criticized the decision as an attempt to sideline the Congress and suggested that continuing the alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) could be detrimental to the Congress’s interests.
In response, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant dismissed Nirupam’s remarks, emphasizing party discipline and stating that once Uddhav Thackeray, the party leader, makes a decision, it is final.
Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena (UBT) released its initial list of 17 candidates in Maharashtra, announcing its intention to contest 22 out of the 48 seats in the state. Notable nominations include Sanjay Patil, a former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA, for Mumbai North-East, and former Union ministers Anant Geete and Arvind Sawant for the Raigad and South Mumbai constituencies, respectively. The party also re-nominated all five sitting Lok Sabha MPs and fielded Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai for the Mumbai South-Central seat.
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