MVA leaders must pacify cadre: Uddhav

Amidst reports about discontent in the state Congress over Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi’s (MVA) seat-sharing pact, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday said the leadership of parties in the alliance must pacify their local leaders and workers to achieve the goal of defeating the BJP.

The MVA also received a further boost in Jalgaon on Saturday, as Laxman Patil, the district chief of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), and several workers of BJP and Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi joined the Shiv Sena (UBT) at a programme in Mumbai in the presence of Thackeray. Jalgaon’s sitting MP Unmesh Patil had joined Shiv Sena (UBT) earlier this month after the BJP refused to renominate

him.

Speaking to reporters during the programme in Mumbai, Thackeray expressed unhappiness over the discontent and open opposition to Shiv Sena (UBT) candidates in Mumbai and Sangli.

The Congress was keen to put up candidates in both seats, but even as seat-sharing discussions were on among MVA partners,

Shiv Sena (UBT) chose to unilaterally declare Chandrahar Patil and Anil Desai as candidates from Sangli and Mumbai South Central, respectively.

“The seat sharing pact of MVA was declared four days ago. Now, party leaders should pacify their local leaders and workers in different areas. We are working together for a big goal, which is to defeat the BJP. So now we should work together to achieve it,” he said.

On workers from BJP and other parties joining Shiv Sena (UBT), he said there was growing unrest among people across the country after 10 years of the Narendra Modi regime and political workers were now speaking their minds openly. “There is huge unrest among people and political workers of different parties about the BJP government. That’s why people from different parties including BJP now joining us,” he said.

Uddhav Thackeray