MVA has resolved the succession issue, with Uddhav Thackeray as the consensus candidate for CM, claim sources.
New Delhi: As the two major alliances, Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Mahayuti, battle hard against each other in Maharashtra Assembly elections, leaders from both the alliances suggest that there could be another tussle for the chief ministerial position within the winning bloc post elections. However, according to sources, Congress has already resolved the fight of succession in MVA and conveyed that the grand old party will not be in a race of obtaining the Chief Minister’s seat.
According to top sources, Rahul Gandhi has already conveyed to Uddhav Thackeray that he will be the alliance’s choice for Chief Minister if MVA comes to power, Sharad Pawar has also agreed to it. This is the reason, according to party insiders, that Uddhav with his son Aditya, had visited the Gandhis in Delhi. Following the meeting, Shiv Sena had agreed to give a large share of seats to Congress. The grand old party is now contesting on 103 Assembly seats, Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray has fielded 89 candidates and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party will contest on 87 seats.
A senior Congress leader said, “There is already an understanding among a section of leaders of all the three major parties that Uddhav will be given the position of Chief Minister if MVA comes to power. This is because politically, he is the supreme leader of his party in the state and if he heads the alliance, leaders from other parties will also listen to him and follow his lead. Sharad Pawar will also find it easy to communicate with him or follow his lead. But if there is a leader other than Uddhav (as Sharad Pawar is 83 years old) it will be difficult for the two supreme leaders (Uddhav and Sharad) to follow him.”
The Congress leader added, “When we have been in alliance, Congress rank and file have shown compliance with Uddhav Thackeray’s instructions. We have listened to what he had to say. Will that happen from their side, will their rank and file listen to us if there is a Congress leader heading the government? They won’t, because they answer to their party chief (Uddhav). Moreover, their presence is only in Maharashtra, if they don’t listen to him there, the party will start declining and enter the space of erosion. The supreme leader of Congress, Rahul Gandhi can practice his leadership anywhere in the country and therefore, can give up on the Chief Minister’s claim in Maharashtra.”
Thackeray’s role as Chief Minister, according to a political analyst, could also contribute to the stability of MVA, as he had managed to keep the alliance together during challenging times which the other leaders in the state could find difficult, considering how significant the role of Maharashtra government is. His popularity and leadership style had also helped foster public support, particularly among Shiv Sena’s base, and demonstrated that cross-party alliances could effectively govern Maharashtra.
A leader said, “If a Congress leader were to become Chief Minister, it will be difficult to manage the two supreme leaders, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, in the state. They have higher stature than anyone in the alliance.”
Moreover, for Uddhav Thackeray, according to experts, this would be an opportunity to carry forward his father Bal Thackeray’s legacy and try to put an end to its split faction (and it’s narrative) led by the current chief minister Eknath Shinde who has also claims of advancing Bal Thackeray’s legacy. Few political observers also think that by making Uddhav the chief minister, if MVA defeats Mahayuti, Rahul Gandhi would weaken the prominence and political narrative of BJP in the state.
However, a section of Congress leaders still believe that the Chief Minister will be chosen from the party which scores victory on most of the seats within the MVA bloc. With expectations that Congress will have the majority of winning candidates, senior party leaders insist that a Congress leader will take the top post.
A Congress general secretary from Maharashtra said, “The alliance has laid out the criteria for choosing the Chief Minister. The party that gets most of the seats will announce their candidate as the Chief Minister. That’s how it will go.”