The central leadership of the Congress on Thursday refrained from offering any signs of support to a Shiv Sena-led government, firmly telling party MLAs who have rushed to Delhi to lobby for such an alternative to hold their horses.
Eight newly elected legislators reached Delhi to convince the high command that the top priority should be to stop the BJP from gaining control of Maharashtra. The MLAs are not happy with the high command’s cautious approach and want an explicit assurance of support to Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, saying he could otherwise give in to the BJP’s pressure.
One of the MLAs told The Telegraph: “We are in touch with Sena leaders in Mumbai and they feel there is no clarity on support from the Congress. Even our senior leaders in the state aren’t sure what the high command would do. We felt compelled to talk to them, to convey that the dominant sentiment in Maharashtra favoured a non-BJP government. An analysis of social media reactions suggests 75% people want a non-BJP government.”
Although they have not been able to meet party president Sonia Gandhi so far, the MLAs made a passionate appeal before veteran A.K. Antony who is believed to be opposing any association with the Sena. Sources said they had tried to reason with Antony that the Congress would be the worst loser if the BJP managed to install its government. “It will be difficult to protect our MLAs and our leaders as the BJP will ruthlessly poach to bolster its numbers,” an MLA said.
Antony did not rule out supporting the Sena-led coalition but asked the MLAs to calm down as the time had not come for any Congress intervention in the state. He argued that the people had given the mandate to the BJP-Sena and that they should be allowed to exhaust their options. The Sena would have to withdraw support from the Narendra Modi government and break its ties with the BJP before the question of Congress support arises, he said. These MLAs are expected to meet Ahmed Patel later in the night and repeat the same argument.
In Mumbai, Congress leader Vijay Namdevrao Wadettiwar said: “All of our MLAs are of the view that the BJP should not be allowed to form the government. The BJP-led coalition ran the government for the last five years. What happened in Maharashtra? Sixteen farmers committed suicide.”
Asked about talk that the Sena might form the government with support from the Congress and NCP, Wadettiwar said his party has not received any such proposal so far. “We will mull over the proposal if we get any, but the final call will be taken by the central party leadership,” he said. Top state leaders Balasaheb Thorat, Ashok Chavan and Prithviraj Chavan are said to be supportive of the idea of a Sena-led government.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hussain Dalwai has openly written to Sonia Gandhi, pleading support for a Sena-led alternative. Local Congress leaders insist this experiment would not mean a dilution of ideology because the Sena would have to implement the secular agenda after breaking away from the BJP. The local leaders see this more as a short-term tactical move than a compromise of the ideological position.
One senior leader said: “Stopping the BJP is important for our survival. If the party does not survive, how does the ideology survive? Devendra Fadnavis tried his best to destroy the Congress and the NCP using both allurements and coercive methods. What he did in Maharashtra is worse than what Modi-Shah did to the Congress in the rest of the country. Younger leaders of the Congress have no dilemma in their minds. They want a BJP-mukt Maharashtra.”
