Confusion among Sena (UBT)-MNS workers

 

 

Despite the alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), the absence of senior leaders from both parties has raised questions about their commitment to Vidarbha. While both parties have addressed rallies in other parts of State, their poor presence in Vidarbha has caused disappointment among local leaders and workers. Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders have claimed they are prepared to contest the Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections independently, but the possibility of an alliance still remains. Seat-sharing discussions between MNS and Shiv Sena (UBT) are also ongoing, but no final decision has been reached yet with only two days left for the end of campaigning. Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have formed an alliance in Mumbai but their senior leaders did not pass clear instructions to the leaders in other parts of the State.

 

They are quite serious as far as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Kalyan, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar Municipal Corporations are concerned. Beyond these Municipal Corporations, both parties are not taking efforts elsewhere and have left the local leaders to their fate. Uddhav and Raj Thackeray and other leaders including Aditya, Amit all are addressing the meetings in major cities, but not in Vidarbha. On the contrary, BJP’s star campaigners Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, State Election Head Chandrashekhar Bawankule and others are touring every city participating in rallies, meetings etc.

 

There are 29 Municipal Corporations but barring a few, both these parties have not planned their strategy in other corporations. In Vidarbha there are four Municipal Corporations, including Akola, Nagpur, Amravati and Chandrapur. But not even a single leader or MLA came to Vidarbha to address rallies. In Nagpur, at the last moment, Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) have made a weak effort of forming an alliance. They are also aware of the fact that the alliance won’t help them.

 

The alliance was announced by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, who stated that the parties will contest all 29 municipal corporation elections together. Meanwhile, BJP and Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde) have also decided to contest the elections together, as part of the Mahayuti alliance. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has expressed confidence that the Mahayuti alliance will win the NMC elections, citing the alliance's strong performance in recent local body polls.

 

 

The workers of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) seemed confused due to the strong rumours of both NCPs coming together going viral. They are not sure about their political future. A worker told ‘The Hitavada’, “Senior leaders will join hands and do the adjustment, but what will happen to the workers who have been working at ground level is a million dollar question. This chaos led to the workers’ participation towards the campaigning. They don’t know where will they go if both NCPs come together, what position will they have in united NCP.”