Shiv Sena faces growing clamour to quit MVA after drubbing in Maharashtra polls: Report

Leaders have also criticised the lack of unity within the MVA, pointing to issues such as delays in seat-sharing arrangements and instances of Congress backing independent candidates over Sena (UBT) nominees, as seen in Solapur South.

Tensions are rising within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance after the Shiv Sena (UBT) suffered a humiliating defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections, according to a report by The Indian Express.

A majority of the 20 Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs have reportedly urged the party to quit the alliance, expressing dissatisfaction with the MVA’s effectiveness, The Indian Express report said. This sentiment was voiced in a meeting convened by Uddhav Thackeray on November 25. Sources told the daily that the grassroots cadre of the Sena (UBT), overshadowed by Eknath Shinde’s faction, is questioning the value of remaining in the alliance.

However, party leaders like Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut are reportedly keen on maintaining the MVA to present a united opposition against the BJP. Despite this, many MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Ambadas Danve, argue that the party should forge an independent path and contest elections on its own, adhering to the ideology of its founder, Bal Thackeray.

Since the 2022 split, when most Sena leaders joined Shinde’s camp, the Sena (UBT) has struggled with a loss of support and its identity, with accusations of betraying Hindutva by aligning with the Congress and NCP. Party leaders now feel that leaving the MVA and going solo is necessary to reconnect with its base, which is increasingly shifting towards the Shinde faction.

A Sena (UBT) candidate who lost in the recent elections expressed concern that the party’s secular alliances were diluting its core Hindutva values, the report added. There are growing fears that the BJP’s narrative, accusing the Sena (UBT) of betraying its roots, is gaining traction.

Leaders have also criticised the lack of unity within the MVA, pointing to issues such as delays in seat-sharing arrangements and instances of Congress backing independent candidates over Sena (UBT) nominees, as seen in Solapur South.