Cong-Shiv Sena (UBT) join hands in NMC to form MVA

 

 

 

Ahead of the maiden meet of Nagpur Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) new House, a major political development has occurred wherein the Shiv Sena (UBT), having two elected members, have decided to join Congress led Opposition alliance. On Tuesday, Sena decided to officially form a Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), signalling bolstering of Opposition voice in the NMC. Now the Opposition bloc has 36 members, 34 of Congress and 2 of Sena (UBT). The merger by two main parties was necessitated as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has brute majority in the House. So for Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, coming together would provide some footing to the Opposition in the House. The joining of hands by Sena corporators with Congress in NMC is meant to ensure that Opposition is not taken for granted by the ruling party. Congress which failed to make most of the anti-incumbency due to poor ground network, lack of co-ordinated campaign in the civic elections, is now seeking to form a formidable block of Opposition. Congress leadership is in talk with remaining corporators, those of non-BJP to come on single platform, so that their voice is not muzzled.

 

Now there is lone member of BSP, six members of AIMIM and 4 of IUML, and their stance as to working partnership with Congress remains to be seen as the political scene unravel in days to come. They have resolved to expose administrative failures, ensure accountability of ruling establishment and question anti-people decisions The decision to come together was taken after deliberation held at the initiative of Vikas Thakre, President, Nagpur City (District) Congress Committee and MLA from West Nagpur, Sanjay Mahakalkar, Group Leader, Congress in NMC House, and Kishor Kumeria, Group Leader, Shiv Sena (UBT). After finalising the arrangement, leaders of both groups met Divisional Commissioner Vijayalakshmi Bidari and formally submitted the minutes of the meeting. They also handed over the merger letter thereby completing all statutory procedures.

 

With Shiv Sena (UBT) merger, the strength of Nagpur Maha Vikas Aghadi has risen to 36 corporators in Nagpur Municipal Corporation, making it a formidable opposition bloc that will no longer allow the ruling dispensation to function without scrutiny. Nagpur's Maha Vikas Aghadi has resolved to aggressively seek answers from civic administration as to poor civic services, irregular water supply, shortcoming in garbage management among other major issues that citizens are facing. Besides, MVA also intends to raise issue of generating employment, seek improvement in quality of education, bettering the roads and public health, and urban safety, and to fight relentlessly for basic amenities and the rights of Nagpurkars, aiming to make Nagpur a clean, green, safe and truly smart city—on ground, not just on paper. Congress corporator Vivek Nikose, along with several corporators and senior leaders from Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), were present during the merger.