Not all's well within MVA? Shiv Sena (UBT) likely to go solo in BMC polls; Congress says 'their choice'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday indicated that the party is likely to contest the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and civic body elections in other parts of Maharashtra. He added that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies are yet to take any call on contesting the elections as one. 

Well, why is Raut pitching for fighting BMC polls solo? His rationale is since these polls are different from the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, the party would get the opportunity to bolster its local cadre.

"Those who wish to contest the polls independently should surely contest independently," the Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP said. Replying to Raut's comments, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said that he is making these remarks out of "frustration".

Wadettiwar said that it is the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s choice if they wish to go independent in the BMC polls. 

“They are an independent party and if the Sena wishes to go independent then it’s their choice… We are willing to contest in an alliance… but since Raut has presented the Sena UBT’s stance of going solo then we must seek clarity on his stand.”

Raut's comments come days after Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Ambadas Danve gave a statement on similar lines. 

Danve told The Indian Express that it is time for the party to forge an independent path and not depend on any alliance to contest BMC polls. He added that the Shiv Sena was not meant to chase power. 

Some Sena (UBT) leaders were also of the opinion that going solo would also help the party reconnect with its base and prevent from further shifting to the Deputy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. 

They were also of the opinion that the dilution of Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Hindutva ideology to accommodate the Congress and NCP (SP) led to its rout in the state polls. 

"Securing Muslim votes is beneficial, but if those votes drive away other supporters, their value becomes questionable," a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader from Nashik Central said.

For the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena, the BMC polls are a question of survival as the party has historically used the BMC's resources and clout to solidify its standing in Mumbai. Losing the BMC polls would mean losing a vital source of political capital for the Thackeray family. 

Going solo, however, won't be as easy as it seems. While Thackeray might be able to consolidate the 'Marathi manoos' vote on his side, his party might face the risk of being isolated in a three-cornered contest with the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena. 

The MVA was completely routed in the recently conducted Maharashtra assembly polls, with just 46 seats in its kitty. The Shiv Sena (UBT) emerged as the top performer in these elections, with just 20 seats in its kitty. The Congress and NCP (SP) logged their worst performances, by bagging 16 and 10 seats, respectively.