Maharashtra: Thackeray meets Ajit Pawar day after opposition alliance talks
Maharashtra's former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray met former ally and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar on Wednesday. The meeting comes a day after the joint opposition front led by the Congress met in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and finalized a name for the alliance. Thackeray-Pawar interaction was the first formal meet-and-greet after the latter switched sides and joined the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Maharashtra.
Why does this story matter?
The meeting between Pawar and Thackeray is crucial as major parties are gearing up for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, with 26 opposition parties pledging to end the BJP's rule at the Centre. Days earlier, the rebel leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Pawar, held back-to-back meetings with the party chief, Sharad Pawar, and requested him to keep the party united.
'Hope Ajit Pawar will do right work for people': Thackeray
When asked about the meeting, Shiv Sena (UBT)'s chief Thackeray said, "I met Ajit Pawar and congratulated him. I hope he will do the right work for the people. I have worked with him in 2019. I know his style of work." The meeting came amid the ongoing Maharashtra Assembly session and a day after he attended a crucial opposition meeting in Bengaluru.
Thackeray urged Pawar to continue his efforts for people: Report
Thackeray, according to NDTV, also asked Pawar to continue his efforts to serve the state and its people. "I am confident...people of the state will get aid because he has the keys to the treasury," he added. Notably, Pawar served as Thackeray's deputy in 2019 before a split in the Shiv Sena led to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
Current political scenario in Maharashtra
Maharashtra's political scene witnessed a significant change last month when Pawar and eight other NCP MLAs rebelled and joined the government led by CM Eknath Shinde. The move by the leaders divided the Sharad-founded party. To recall, the split occurred a year after Shinde orchestrated a similar rebellion against Thackeray and became Maharashtra CM with the aid of the BJP.
Know about joint opposition alliance's Bengaluru meeting
The Congress-led unified opposition front agreed to name the coalition INDIA on Tuesday, the second day of its second meeting in Bengaluru. INDIA is an acronym that stands for the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance. According to reports, Thackeray recommended that the alliance's name not include the word "opposition." He believes that the BJP is the actual opposition.
