Vikrant Shekhawat : Jan 11, 2025, 07:40 PM
Uddhav Thackeray: Amid reports of a break-up in the opposition alliance, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) has given a big blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). According to senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest alone in the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. This is the first time in the last five years that Shiv Sena (UBT) will not contest the elections along with Congress and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction). MVA was formed in 2019 from an alliance between Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Congress.Why the decision to contest alone in BMC?In the BMC elections, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena will face the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP. In such a situation, the question arises that why Uddhav Thackeray has chosen the path of contesting the elections alone instead of an alliance. Many important reasons are believed to be behind this. Let us know why Shiv Sena (UBT) has adopted the policy of "Ekala Chalo" in the BMC elections.1. Uncertainty about Sharad PawarThere is uncertainty about Sharad Pawar in Maharashtra politics. After the defeat in the 2024 assembly elections, it is not clear what equation will remain between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. Two discussions are gaining momentum in political circles. First, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar can become one. Second, most of the NCP leaders can go with Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar may be left with only a few senior leaders.If there is any change in NCP at the last moment, it will have a direct impact on the performance of Shiv Sena (UBT). Therefore, instead of taking the risk, Uddhav Thackeray has decided to choose his own path from now on.2. Sluggish attitude of CongressCongress's sluggishness in taking electoral decisions has been a matter of concern for Shiv Sena (UBT). Even in the assembly elections, there was a dispute over the distribution of seats till the last moment. Due to this, both the parties suffered losses and Congress was reduced to only 16 seats.Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Ambadas Danve and Sanjay Raut have already criticized the slow decision-making of the Congress. After the defeat, the Congress had talked about organizational change, but it has not been implemented yet. Because of this, Uddhav has decided to independently implement his strategy in BMC.3. Challenge of seat sharing in BMCShiv Sena has been controlling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation since 1995. However, even after the split in the party, Uddhav Thackeray's strong support base in Mumbai remains intact. Out of the 236 seats of BMC, Uddhav's party had won 84 seats last time.If the election was contested together with MVA, the issue of seat sharing could have become a big issue. Due to seat sharing, many strong contenders would not have got tickets and they could have gone to BJP or Eknath Shinde's party. This is the reason why Uddhav decided to contest all the seats in BMC alone.4. Strategy to sharpen the issue of HindutvaShiv Sena's politics has been based on the issues of Marathi Manus and Hindutva. The effect of these issues is visible in Mumbai and its surrounding areas. While being in Mahavikas Aghadi, Uddhav Thackeray was not able to speak openly on Hindutva issues.Recently, on the anniversary of Babri demolition, Uddhav's close aide Milind Narvekar shared a post, on which the minority leaders of Congress expressed displeasure. By separating from the alliance, Uddhav will now try to sharpen the issues of Hindutva.5. Freedom for future politicsUddhav Thackeray had recently said that nothing is permanent in politics. By fighting alone in BMC, Shiv Sena (UBT) wants to keep its options open for future politics. If the performance of Shiv Sena (UBT) in BMC remains better, then the party can consider a new alliance with any political party.There have been meetings between Uddhav Thackeray and Devendra Fadnavis in the recent past. After this, there is also speculation of an alliance between BJP and Uddhav's Shiv Sena. The decision to contest the elections alone will also give Shiv Sena (UBT) the freedom to take political decisions in the future.ConclusionThe decision of Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT) to contest the BMC elections alone is linked to many political and strategic aspects. Uncertainty about Sharad Pawar's position, Congress's sluggish attitude and the need to openly do politics on the issue of Hindutva have forced Uddhav to take this step. This decision of Uddhav Thackeray can play an important role in Mumbai politics and the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The result of the BMC elections will decide how effective this decision of Uddhav proves to be.