Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan stated on Wednesday that certain regional parties may consider joining the INDIA bloc or even merging with the grand old party. Chavan emphasized that the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections, which will be announced on June 4, will determine the course of action. Chavan’s remarks were in response to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s recent interview, where Pawar expressed his belief that in the future, several regional parties in Maharashtra will align more closely with the Congress or potentially merge with it.
During the interview, Chavan acknowledged Pawar’s statements and stressed that everything hinges on the election results on June 4. He expressed confidence in the formation of an INDIA alliance government at the Centre after June 4 and suggested that some parties may choose to join the alliance or merge with the Congress to leverage the benefits of power. However, Chavan cautioned that these possibilities are contingent upon the outcome of the elections. The former Maharashtra CM also affirmed his agreement with Pawar’s perspective.
Uddhav Thackeray’s reaction
Shiv Sena (UBT) and former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray presented a contrasting perspective on Sharad Pawar’s merger statement. Thackeray emphasized that his political group is not a “small party” and criticized current Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis for their comments on the matter.
Thackeray questioned, “Pawar saheb mentioned that some small regional parties might merge with the Congress. Is Shiv Sena considered a small party?” He also used this opportunity to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that unlike the 2014 and 2019 general elections, Modi has no remaining concerns during the current polls. “I recall from my childhood that if someone fears ghosts, they should chant ‘Ram Ram’. Since he fears defeat, he is traveling across the country chanting the name of Ram,” Thackeray added regarding Prime Minister Modi.
What was the ruling Mahayuti’s declaration?
Chief Minister Shinde used Pawar’s comment to target Uddhav and said that he had already become “Congress-minded”: Fadnavis, on the other hand, said that the latest interview by Sharad Pawar was an indication of how difficult it is for the octagenarian politician himself to manage his party.
Sharad Pawar’s nephew and deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that these are his uncle’s personal views. He reminisced the merger of Samajwadi Congress Party with the Congress (I) in 1986 to substantiate his point further.
“On December 8, 1986, Pawar saheb had merged his Samajwadi Congress Party with the Congress (I) and they all were witness to that rally in Aurangabad where he made the announcement,” said Pawar.