Mumbai: Seeking to quash ongoing speculation about a possible political shift, Maharashtra NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Jayant Patil said on Thursday that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will not switch to the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Notably, in the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT) secured nine seats in Maharashtra, mthe same as the BJP, while its rival faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde bagged seven.
The speculation started after Thackeray skipped a key I.N.D.I/A bloc meeting held in New Delhi on Wednesday and reports in a section of the media about backchannel moves for a rapprochement with the BJP-led grouping.
'No chance...'
At a press conference, Patil, after meeting Thackeray, congratulated him on the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) impressive performance in Maharashtra, where the opposition alliance won 30 out of 48 seats. "There is no chance that he will switch sides," the former state minister said.
Patil stated that the former Chief Minister is prepared to establish an MVA government in the state, where assembly polls are scheduled for October 2024. "There is tremendous unrest among people about the state government," Patil said, hitting out at the Shiv Sena-led ruling coalition which also consists of the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP.
The NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and Congress are constituents of the MVA, a state-level alliance. Additionally, they are part of the I.N.D.I.A bloc.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 results
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has secured a third term, but the BJP will need to rely on the support of other parties in his coalition - JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar and TDP's chief Chandrababu Naidu. The BJP fell 32 seats short of the 272 majority mark after votes polled in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were counted. For the first time, since the Bharatiya Janata Party swept to power in 2014, it did not secure a majority on its own.
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