Thackeray opts out of Legislative Council poll, Congress signals rival candidate, MVA unity tested

Mumbai: After days of dithering, Uddhav Thackeray, president of the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena, has decided not to contest Maharashtra Legislative Council elections. The UBT Sena has instead nominated senior leader Ambadas Danve to the legislative council. The move, however, has thrown the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc into flux as Congress had indicated that if Thackeray did not contest, it would field its candidate.

Of the nine MLC seats falling vacant, MVA has enough numbers to elect one candidate. Congress and NCP(SP) were keen on Thackeray becoming an MLC in 2020 after he became chief minister, enabling him to continue in office.

Also Read: The Bengali factor: Jhalmuri, Durga Puja and other strategies in West Bengal’s battle for power

State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal had met Thackeray recently, urging him to contest the polls. He had also indicated that if the UBT Sena chief would decide against contesting, Congress would field its candidate.

On Wednesday, Sapkal, who is in New Delhi, met the party leadership, where he argued that Congress should field a candidate for MLC elections. The development came after the UBT Sena declared Danve as the MVA nominee. The state Congress leadership feels that the UBT Sena took the decision unilaterally without taking the party into confidence.

Also read: The first verdict before the final one: BJP leads in Bengal, Assam; UDF ahead in Kerala while Vijay factor looms in TN

“MVA decisions must be taken through consensus. Only Sapkalji can shed light on the Congress decision, but as far as my information goes, there is a possibility that our party will field a candidate against Danve,” said Bhai Jagtap, Congress leader and MLC. Sources in the Congress, however, said if the party fields a candidate, BJP-Shiv Sena alliance may also field an additional candidate, anticipating a split in votes between Congress and UBT Sena nominees.