Shiv Sena asks NCP to return its 5 corporators who jumped ship, amid cracks in MVA

Hinting at yet another fissure between the Maha Vikas Aghadi partners, Shiv Sena has asked NCP to return its five Corporators from Parner that have joined the Sharad Pawar-led party, sources said. As per sources, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray made a close aide Milind Narvekar call Deputy CM and NCP leader Ajit Pawar and they discussed the matter thereafter. Shiv Sena reportedly has raised concern over such poaching with the three parties being in the ruling alliance.

Five Shiv Sena Corporators from Parner Nagar Panchayat in Ahmednagar joined the NCP in presence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati on Saturday. They are Dr. Mudassir Sayyad, Nandkumar Deshmukh, Kishan Gandhade, Vaishali Auti and Nanda Deshmane. A senior NCP Minister in Maharashtra Cabinet told ANI, "This development has come due to local equations of Parner and Ahmednagar. It won't have any impact on MVA at state-level."

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Rift in Maha Vikas Aghadi

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut interviewed NCP supremo Sharad Pawar for party mouthpiece Saamana on Monday. According to Raut, Pawar spoke frankly about a number of issues ranging from the China faceoff to the political developments in Maharashtra. He added that this interview was conducted in the fiery 'Saamana' style. The Sena MP revealed that this interview would be broadcast and published very soon. 

READ | Amid growing fissures within MVA, Sena MP Sanjay Raut interviews NCP supremo Sharad Pawar

Amid the ongoing Coronavirus crisis, the deepening rift between the Maha Vikas Aghadi became evident after CM Uddhav Thackeray revoked a transfer order issued by Mumbai police, according to sources. Earlier on Friday, Pawar met with CM Uddhav at the Balasaheb Thackeray memorial, amid rising complaints of NCP and Congress leaders about not being aware of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government's decision to extend the lockdown till July 31. Reports state that Pawar advised Thackeray to reconsider the ‘2-km rule’ in Mumbai and to keep the allies in the loop while taking such decisions. 

There has been discontent among the Sena-NCP-Congress govt since the cabinet expansion in January. There has a feeling in the Sena camp that the NCP has walked away with not only the highest number of portfolios but also the most important ones as the Sena, for example, had to cede the Home and the Finance portfolio. Apart from this, Congress and Sena have been at loggerheads since the formation of the alliance over issues like Hindutva, CAA, NRC, Ram Janmabhoomi, Savarkar, COVID-19 etc, with NCP playing the peacemaker.

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