The Indian National Congress has decided not to contest the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Council polls, a move that appears to be a result of a call between party’s Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray.
Earlier this week, the Congress had announced its intention to contest the polls, but it seems that the decision has been reversed after a telephonic conversation between Chennithala and Thackeray. The exact terms of their discussion are not clear, but sources close to the party have revealed that the call was made at the behest of Thackeray.
The Congress had initially announced its intention to contest the polls as part of its alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Indian National Congress, which has fielded several candidates for the elections. However, it appears that the party leadership has now decided to withdraw its candidates from the fray in order to support a candidate from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance.
The MVA is an alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Indian National Congress, which was formed after the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly polls. The alliance had won a majority of seats in the assembly elections, and it has now been asked to extend its support to several contentious issues, including the proposed Mumbai Development Authority (MUDA) bill.
The MVA candidate who is expected to be supported by the Congress is Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Dineyar. Dineyar is a former film actor who has been a prominent face of the Shiv Sena’s youth wing in the past. He has been a close associate of Uddhav Thackeray and has been instrumental in promoting the MVA alliance.
The decision to support Dineyar comes as a surprise, given the Congress’s initial intention to contest the polls. However, it appears that the party leadership had reconsidered its stance after the call between Chennithala and Thackeray. The exact reasons for this sudden change of heart are not clear, but sources close to the party have revealed that there was a disagreement within the party over the strategy for the elections.
The decision to support Dineyar has been seen as an attempt by the MVA to consolidate its position in the state legislature. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has already fielded several candidates for the polls, and with the Congress’s backing, it is expected to have a significant advantage over its rivals.
The Maharashtra Legislative Council elections are scheduled to take place on March 5, and the outcome of the polls is likely to be closely watched by political observers. The decision by the Congress to support MVA candidate Sanjay Dineyar has added an extra layer of complexity to the polls, and it remains to be seen how this will affect the final outcome.
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