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Sharad Pawar pushes for MVA–MNS alliance in BMC elections — but Congress puts up strong opposition
- by Webdesk
- 22 Nov 2025
Source: Hindustan Times
Mumbai: Just days after the Congress openly expressed discomfort over forming an alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the upcoming Mumbai civic elections, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar hinted that he wishes to keep the opposition alliance — the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) — united and to contest the polls together with Raj Thackeray’s MNS.
According to senior NCP (SP) leaders, both Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray are expected to try their best to prevent a split within the MVA ahead of the all-important Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. However, the Mumbai Congress has already taken a firm stand. On Friday, city Congress president Varsha Gaikwad openly challenged Uddhav Thackeray, saying he must choose between the Congress and the MNS.
Gaikwad clarified the party’s position, stating, “I want to make it absolutely clear — we are not joining hands with the MNS. We have been saying this consistently for the past two months. Our stand is fixed. If Shiv Sena (UBT) wants to fight the elections with us, they must separate from the MNS. We have no objection to an alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT), but we will not contest with the MNS involved.”
While avoiding direct mention of the MNS, Gaikwad added that the Congress does not wish to be associated with those “who beat people, violate the law and force others to act in a certain way.” Her remarks were directed at the MNS’s recent actions, including physical assaults on Hindi-speaking people in parts of Maharashtra for not using Marathi.
Gaikwad’s strong statement came soon after a meeting held on November 19, where senior Congress leaders including her met Pawar, along with NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule. The objective of the meeting was to convey that the Congress prefers to contest the BMC election jointly with its current MVA partners. Gaikwad described the NCP (SP) and Congress as “natural allies” whose unity should remain intact not only in state and national politics but also in civic elections.
Following the meeting, Pawar held internal discussions with his party’s Mumbai leaders. According to party insiders, Pawar suggested that the MVA should seriously consider including the MNS in the alliance to defeat the ruling Mahayuti — the coalition of the BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. One NCP (SP) leader shared that Pawar reportedly said, “If the MVA and MNS can come together to protest against vote-stealing, then they can also fight elections together as one team.”
Supriya Sule later reflected her father’s stance, saying the NCP (SP) wants the entire MVA to contest jointly and that she would speak to Uddhav Thackeray and the Congress leadership on the matter. “We want to involve everyone, whether it is the MVA partners or the INDIA bloc. We are open to working collectively. More clarity will come next week,” Sule told the media.
However, Gaikwad’s firm comments on Friday made it clear that the Congress has decided not to engage with the MNS. Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal acknowledged Pawar’s political experience and views but emphasised that decisions regarding alliances for civic elections are left to the local leadership.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) has not closed the door on negotiations. The party claims that discussions with the Congress leadership are still underway and that decisions will be taken thoughtfully. Since the alliance with the Congress in last year’s Lok Sabha and Assembly elections significantly helped Sena (UBT) retain the traditional Congress vote bank in Mumbai, party leaders are being cautious not to risk political damage.
Former Mumbai mayor and senior Sena (UBT) leader Kishori Pednekar reiterated that talks with Congress are still moving forward. She said, “Discussions are happening not only with the Congress high command but also with Varsha Gaikwad. If we want to change the current political environment, all opposition parties need to remain united.”
Pednekar added that it is too early to draw conclusions or speculate about the final shape of alliances. According to her, the final decision will be taken only after thorough interactions among all parties involved.
As things stand, Sharad Pawar is pushing for maximum unity in the opposition to take on the Mahayuti in the BMC polls. However, the biggest roadblock remains the Congress, which refuses to associate with the MNS under any circumstances. The coming days will determine whether the opposition can find common ground — or whether disagreements will fragment the MVA ahead of Mumbai’s most high-stakes civic election.
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