Blame game after the defeat

The prominent leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi are yet to recover from the shock of an unprecedented defeat in the assembly elections. It has been a month and a half since the election results, a new cabinet has been formed in the state, even portfolios are distributed, but leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi have still not figured out what exactly went wrong. In the first two-three weeks after the results Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders blamed ‘EVMs’ as usual. Objections were registered directly with the Election Commission. But MVA leaders could not counter when Election Commission responded to these allegations with evidence. Even an astute leader like Sharad Pawar showed his desperation caused by the defeat by raising doubts about ‘EVM’.

Instead of introspecting on what went wrong on their front, the original issue has been simplified just by blaming the EVM. Pawar’s daughter MP Supriya Sule immediately put a full stop to the doubts about EVM. But, Pawar Saheb still tried to keep the atmosphere polluted by supporting Dr. Baba Adhav’s hunger strike against EVM. But now there is room to believe that Pawar Saheb may have realized his mistake. While analysing the reasons for the defeat Pawar Saheb said that they were not alert and caught off-guard because of the victory in the Lok Sabha elections, on the contrary Mahayuti corrected its mistakes. On the other hand, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar has also publicly analysed the defeat in his own way. Wadettiwar gave reasons like, ‘we were left with a very limited time to campaign as seat allocation issue was not resolved early, we could not plan a joint program’. While analysing the reasons behind the defeat, Wadettiwar targeted UBT leader MP Sanjay Raut. Wadettiwar has also expressed doubt that there can be a conspiracy behind the delay in seat allotment. While blaming Sanjay Raut, Wadettiwar also taunted his own party’s state president, Nana Patole.

MP Sanjay Raut responded to Wadettiwar’s analysis. While responding, he has given some examples of the mess that happened during the seat allocation and also held Sharad Pawar’s party responsible for this mess. Raut has also criticised the central leadership of the Congress.

While the blame game is going on in full swing, Dr Amol Kolhe of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) has added more spice to it. Dr Kolhe has shown the level to which the disagreements in Maha Vikas Aghadi have reached by saying that, ‘the Congress party’s broken back is not straightening and Shiv Sena UBT is not waking up’. It is said that victory has many fathers, but defeat is an orphan. Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders have started blaming each other and off course it is on expected lines. Things like false propaganda about amending the constitution and fear created in the Muslim community led to the victory of 31 seats in the Lok Sabha elections.

Such false propaganda is always short lived, but Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders failed to realize it. Instead they started day dreaming that there is a wave against the Mahayuti and they would come to power riding this wave. The Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders did not predict that their false propaganda can be countered effectively in some other way. After Dr. Kolhe attacked Congress and UBT simultaneously, he got a same response in return. Former UBT MP Vianayak Raut has responded to Kolhe by asking him to mind his own party’s business and also told him that, ‘even if you are a MP, you have no right to talk about us.’ UBT has indicated that they would fight the upcoming local body elections on its own. Mumbai Municipal Corporation election will be a prestige battle for Shiv Sena UBT. The favourable conditions for congress during Lok Sabha elections disappeared within six months.

The UBT group must have realized that it would not be beneficial to contest the local body elections in alliance with such a Congress. It is no longer a secret that UBT is trying to get out of Maha Vikas Aghadi with a use and throw attitude. One has to give reasons while getting a separation. Looking at the current statements of Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders, the work of preparing the background for separation has started rapidly. While these disputes are going on in Maharashtra, the INDI alliance partner National Conference has advised to dissolve this alliance. While advising to dissolve the INDI alliance, National Conference leader and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr. Omar Abdullah has strongly criticised the Congress. Only time will tell how long the Maha Vikas Aghadi and national level INDI Alliance, which were formed only to oppose the BJP and not based on any principle, will survive.

(Article Pre-Published in Times of India Online – 13 January, 2025) 

Keshav Upadhye, Chief Spokesperson