MUMBAI: The Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders are divided over the withdrawal of the second candidate from the Congress party, Rajkishor alias Papa Modi, for the state legislative council elections.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray requested Congress to withdraw ‘Modi’ from the fray to clear his way. However, the congress is not ready to withdraw the candidature of Modi from council elections.
The election commission has declared the election for the nine seats of the state legislative council that is scheduled on May 21. Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is one of the nominees for this council election.
Uddhav Thackeray had expressed his desire to Maharashtra Congress party president and revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat to withdraw its second candidate, however, Thorat has informed that they have chosen the candidate to fight the election, not to withdraw.
All three parties of Maha Vikas Aghadi had declared the two candidates each while BJP has declared four candidates for the nine seats of state council elections.
To elect the second candidate, the Congress needs an additional three votes and the same for the BJP to elect its fourth candidate in council elections.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar also phoned Thorat asking to withdraw its second candidate. "Thorat has however informed Mr Pawar that they had seven meetings of Maha Vikas Aghadi regarding the council elections, but not in the single meeting, there was a decision that the council elections will happen unopposed and the Congress has to field only one candidate," said sources close to Thorat requested anonymity.
He said that during the previous Rajya Sabha elections also, the NCP got two seats while the Congress got only one.
"Why should the Congress compromise every time? If the Shiv Sena and NCP really want this council election to happen unopposed, then they should withdraw their own candidate rather than asking Congress to sacrifice its second candidate.
"We are prepared to fight the elections and even confident to win with a good margin by defeating the fourth candidate of the BJP," said a senior Congress leader requested anonymity.
Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena leader said that all three party leaders will sit together and find out the solutions. "Chief Minister Thackeray is not happy with this current situation. He wants the elections to happen unopposed, but a situation is turning very different. But I am confident that something positive will come out,” said Raut.
BJP leader Ashish Shelar said that the current the political crisis shows that the Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders are not on the same page in decision making. "It is the responsibility of the ruling party to control the situation and the election should not happen in such pandemic situations," Shelar said.