Congress Clarifies Position on Potential MNS Inclusion in Maharashtra's MVA Coalition

Mumbai:

Speculation regarding the potential inclusion of Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) into the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition has been spreading throughout Maharashtra's political landscape, though Congress officials maintain that no official discussions have occurred.

During a press briefing at Maharashtra Sadan in Delhi, state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal emphasized that Congress and its coalition partners remain committed to protecting democratic principles and constitutional values, particularly against what they characterize as the BJP's authoritarian tendencies.

"The decision about any party joining the India Alliance lies with the constituent members of the alliance. Likewise, in Maharashtra, the MVA has already been established as an anti-BJP coalition. Any decisions regarding new party inclusions will be made collectively by all alliance partners," he stated.

This clarification coincided with a high-level meeting between MVA representatives and the State Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), where they voiced concerns about irregularities in voter rolls, duplicate registrations, and the lack of VVPAT-equipped electronic voting machines.

While senior Congress figure Balasaheb Thorat represented the party at this meeting, the state party president was in Delhi. Representatives from Sharad Pawar's NCP faction, Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena, MNS, and CPI were also in attendance.

Sapkal noted that decisions regarding local alliances or coalitions not affiliated with the INDIA bloc are delegated to local authorities.

"The state unit doesn't make independent decisions on such matters. Any coalition strategy will be developed in coordination with senior national leadership," he explained.

Congress's cautious approach toward the MNS reportedly stems from several considerations.

Raj Thackeray's party is recognized for its confrontational stance toward North Indian, Hindi-speaking communities, who constitute a significant voter base for Congress in Maharashtra. Additionally, MNS's recent pivot toward Hindutva ideology has created distance from Congress's secular principles, though it continues to maintain effective coordination with Uddhav Thackeray's Sena faction, another anti-BJP Hindutva force in the state.