Infighting in Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi ahead of MLC polls over Independent MLAs
India Today
As per sources, top leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress are trying to woo independent MLAs supporting Shiv Sena, to vote for their respective candidates.
After the BJP's victory in the Rajya Sabha polls, all three allies of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government are struggling with infighting in a bid to secure enough quotas of votes for each candidate in the fray of Maharashtra Legislative Council polls slated to be held on June 20.
As per sources in the Shiv Sena, top leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress are trying to woo independent MLAs supporting Shiv Sena, to vote for their respective candidates, which has left Chief Minister and Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray red-faced.
It is believed that Geeta Jain, an independent MLA from Mira-Bhayandar, who recently joined Shiv Sena, was contacted by NCP's candidate and senior leader Ramraje Naik Nimbalkar and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar urging her to vote for them.
Also, Manjula Gawit, another independent MLA from Sakri, Dhule was lured by Eknath Khadse, another NCP candidate and veteran leader from Northern Maharashtra. Similarly, Congress candidate Bhai Jagtap had also held talks with Geeta Jain through his representative, sources said.
However, an irked Uddhav Thackeray has decided to cast all surplus votes to Shiv Sena candidates Sachin Ahir and Amsha Padvi after facing defeat in Rajya Sabha polls. Uddhav has also called a meeting of all his party MLAs along with Independent MLAs at Sahyadri guest house in Mumbai today evening.
They will be shifted to West In (earlier known as Renaissance) in Powai till June 20. Also, Sanjay Raut, a Shiv Sena MP, has clarified that every party has to take care of its own candidate. No one should take Shiv Sena's surplus votes for granted.
Meanwhile, the BJP is confident of winning the fifth seat contesting, being contested by its candidate Prasad Lad against Congress' candidate Bhai Jagtap, with a comfortable margin. Chandrakant Patil, Maharashtra BJP President, told the media that they have their maths in place and Maharashtra will see another political earthquake after MLC polls.
