Mahayuti, MVA alliances rocked by betrayals: Which party worst hit
The ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition have witnessed a spurt of rebels ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. After the nominations ended on Tuesday, at least 50 rebels have been identified—36 from Mahayuti and 14 from MVA. In the Mahayuti, the most rebels were from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at 19, followed by the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) with 16 and one from the Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar faction).
Rebel candidates file nominations in key constituencies
Within the MVA coalition, the most rebels are from the Congress (10 out of 14), while the rest are from Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). These rebel candidates are in addition to the candidates from MVA allies who have filed nominations in important constituencies like Kurla, South Solapur, Paranda, Sangola, and Pandharpur. Some have even roped in family members to contest on their behalf.
Parties scramble to manage internal conflicts
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently asked leaders to handle internal fights in their parties, while Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said efforts are on to convince rebels to withdraw nominations. "We are a big party and we have many leaders who aspired to contest," Fadnavis said. He added they would speak to the rebels to convince them to stand down.
MVA leaders convene to address rebel issue
Nine Shiv Sena rebels are contesting against BJP candidates in constituencies like Airoli and Andheri East in Mumbai, while 10 BJP rebels are challenging Sena candidates in areas including Alibaug and Karjat in Raigad district. In the MVA, the Congress has four rebels competing against the alliance's official candidates in seats like Kopri Pachpakhadi in Thane district; Byculla in Mumbai; and Ramtek in Nagpur district.
MVA leaders met on Thursday
MVA leaders met on Thursday to discuss these matters. All India Congress Committee's Ramesh Chennithala said efforts are underway to iron out differences and avoid "friendly fights," adding that leaders of Sena UBT and NCP (SP) are on the same page with the Congress. Both alliances want to resolve differences before November 4, the last date for withdrawing nominations. Maharashtra will vote in a single phase on November 20, with results declared on November 23.
