Congress has threatened to pull out of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government if their demands aren’t met. As per reports, the stand-off is said to have been started by Maharashtra Congress Chief extending his support to Nanar Oil Refinery in Konkan which is being opposed by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole opined that the refinery would bring in investments in addition to providing employment to several locals.
The New Indian Express report on this issue says:
“The state government should address the issue pertaining to Nanar Oil Refinery. The project should happen at Nanar only,” Patole insisted, even as his party’s own sarpanch Prabhudesai from Nanar opposed the project saying it will threaten the ecosystem and beauty of the Konkan region.
Shiv Sena president and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray emphasized that they are with the people of the Nanar. If they do not want the project, then it will be relocated to another location, he promised.
This has been the Sena’s stand for the last few years — even when they were with the BJP and the Devendra Fadnavis government was at the helm in Maharashtra. Konkan region, it must be noted, is the Shiv Sena’s biggest vote bastion.
Another disagreement surfaced when Congress minister Nitin Raut opposed the government’s decision to cancel reservations in promotions. Raut demanded that reservations in promotions should be continued so that officers from the deprived classes get an opportunity. However, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar was not in favor of the suggestion.
An aggrieved Raut met Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole and expressed his displeasure with the Uddhav Thackeray government over this move. Nana Patole took up the issue and demanded that the state government should immediately implement reservations in promotions. He threatened that the Congress party will not hesitate to walk out of the government if the common minimum program of all three parties is not followed by the Uddhav Thackeray government.
Earlier, the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi had also written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and reminded him of the coalition dharma and asked him to implement the common minimum program of all three parties in letter and spirit.
“It is not the sole responsibility of the Congress to run the government in the state successfully. We as a party will continue to fight for our ideology and commitment towards the backward and minority,” a senior Congress leader said while requesting anonymity.
Every now and then, MVA alliance partners run into some trouble or the other leaving the citizens suffering due to messed-up decision making. That the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) coalition is being run like a headless chicken has been proved time and again by its actions and decisions.
Congress’ latest threat is one in a long series of threats where one or the other partner has some issue or the other. As Hindupost had pointed out earlier:
The much-touted coordination committee to ensure the smooth functioning of the MVA government also remains a distant dream. Instead, one of the many things that this government seems to lack includes coordination. Every other day the Congress gets upset with something or the NCP has reason to complain despite putting up a brave face. CM Uddhav Thackeray’s decisions are more often than not super ceded leaving him red-faced with embarrassment.
It remains to be seen what would be the outcome of these threats by Congress.
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