In the MVA Alliance frictions are increasing by the day as reports have emerged confirming Congress threatening to ditch Uddhav Thackeray’s govt over the refinery and reservation issues. Congress is a key alliance partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition with 44 MLAs that sit in the Maharashtra Assembly and 3 MPs that sit in the Lok Sabha. The standoff has reached to a flashpoint where the Congress threatened that it would walk out of the Uddhav Thackeray led MVA if its demands are not met.
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The MVA, which was birthed after a situation of political unrest transpired in Maharashtra, is a coalition of the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Indian National Congress, along with a few parties that have fraction of the seats.
Recently, Congress has been the cause of friction for the MVA. The Congress party was unhappy after it was not given its share in the decision-making process of the MVA. Recently, it made its position known by putting a foot down and indicating that it will walk out of the coalition if the government resolution which was passed earlier on May 7 and scrapped the 33% reservation in promotion, is not withdrawn.
The Oil Refinery Debate between Shiv Sena & Congress
Another disagreement came in the form of Congress chief took a stand in his support for the oil refinery plan at Konkan right after Shiv Sena decided to oppose it. The Congress party president Nana Patole took a stand in the support of the setup of oil refinery saying it will bring investments and provide employment to the locals. It should be noted that Congress’s own sarpanch Prabhudesai from the Nanar village opposed the refinery saying it will threaten the environment and destroy the beauty of Konkan.
After the opposition of Nanar sarpanch, Shiv Sena president and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said that they stand with the people of Nanar and if they do not want the project, it will be shifted to a different location. It should also be noted that Konkan is among Shiv Sena’s biggest vote bastion.
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Reservations in Promotion: Congress taking pro-reservations in promotions stance
Shifting the focus back to another disagreement that was mentioned above, Congress Minister Nini Raut opposed the government’s decision to scrap reservations in promotions. According to Congress minister Raut, people who belong to the deprived classes must get the opportunity in the form of reservation and the reservations must continue.
Raut also had a meeting with the state Congress president Nana Patole and shared his demands and his displeasure with Uddhav Thackeray government’s move to do away with the reservation. Patole took a stand and said that either the state government stay with the reservations in promotions or the Congress party will walk out of the government.
NCP Chief Jayant Patil says ‘no instability’ in MVA Alliance
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Maharashtra National Congress Party chief Jayant Patil claimed that there was no ‘instability’ in the coalition and that new issues do tend to crop up which should not be associated to friction.
According to reports, the President of NCP met Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray which increased the rumours about the friction within the alliance. However, Jayant Patil tried laying rest to all such rumours and speculation and said-
“I don’t know what transpired in the meeting. But there is no question of instability in the government. New issues do crop up. what is the connection between them and the government’s stability?”
When asked about the Maratha reservation issue, Patil said that it should be Prime Minister Narendra Modi who should – “take decision in Parliament” and added that “state BJP leaders must pursue the matter with their central leadership.”
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