On Thursday, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla termed the opposition alliance as “confused” and “bereft of unity”. In an interview, Poonawalla slammed the opposition on its internal disagreements and lack of clear direction.
He first attacked Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi, who had tweeted about the alliance plans. “Yesterday, Akhilesh Yadav tweeted from Jammu and Kashmir about ‘Ekta’, but immediately after, Abu Azmi, one of the top leaders in Maharashtra. Tweeted that the Samajwadi Party should contest as many seats as possible. He said if they are not included in the candidate list. They will have to decide their next steps,” said Poonawalla. He highlighted this contradiction, explaining that it reflected the lack of unity in vision and mission within the alliance.
Poonawalla went ahead to refer to the opposition alliance as an “alliance of commission, ambition, and confusion.” He declared that the continuing struggle in the coalition still reflects a preoccupation with seat-sharing and the fight for power rather than a shared mission. He even mentioned an incident that took place in Kerala whereby Congress single-handedly declared Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as a candidate for Wayanad. Illustrating how the coalition was still fighting on positions rather than their shared goals.
This is not the Maha Vikas Aghadi, said Mr. Poonawalla.“. It is Maha Vichitra, it is Maha Vidambana Aghadi.” He further said that even smaller elements within the alliance, like Abu Azmi, were now dictating terms to bigger parties like Uddhav Sena and Congress. He said Uddhav Sena was demanding a chief ministerial candidate, which both Sharad Pawar and Congress had rejected. “It shows the alliance is driven by confusion and ambition, not a clear mission for Maharashtra,” he said.
The comments came after the Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi posted on X. Basically, Azmi had threatened that if any party in Maha Vikas Aghadi, be it Congress, NCP, or Shiv Sena declares the list of candidates without keeping the Samajwadi Party in the loop. Then that will mean SP no longer is a part of their alliance. Azmi further said the SP wanted to contest as many seats as possible in Maharashtra.
The Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for Maharashtra’s assembly elections. Voters will cast their votes on November 20, and officials will declare the results on November 23. This election will likely become a battle between the Mahayuti Alliance, led by BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition. It includes Shiv Sena UBT, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress.
ANI
