The volatile Maharashtra politics is gearing up for another showdown, this time in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. Following the recent developments of key ally member Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiva Sena (UBT) warming up to his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray's MNS over the Hindi imposition row based on the state government's recent education policy.
The MNS and the Shiv Sena (UBT) have been vocal in opposing the proposed imposition of Hindi as the third language in primary school education.
What is the Hindi imposition row in Maharashtra?
Amid growing resistance to the introduction of Hindi from Classes 1 to 5, the state government has withdrawn two official orders related to the implementation of the three-language policy. In response to the backlash, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced the formation of a committee, led by educationist Narendra Jadhav, to recommend the future course of action on the state’s language policy.
Thackeray brothers reconciling?
Ever since the Hindi language row took center stage in the state politics, both Uddhav and Thackeray have been speaking against it on similar lines and also called for a joint protest, fuelling buzz of a possible alliance head of the civic body polls in the state. On Tuesday, the Shiva Sena (UBT) and the MNS issued a joint letter for the first time. The letter is addressed to the Marathi community.
Through this letter, Uddhav and Raj have invited Marathi people to attend the public rally scheduled for 5 July.
Congress on alert mode
Alarmed in the wake of the Thackeray brothers coming together on a single stage for the Marathi Manus cause, the Congress, an ally of Uddhav's party in the MVA, is now exploring the option of contesting the BMC elections on its own, sources said. This has led to speculation that the MVA alliance in Mumbai could fall apart.
Congress has now taken feedback from several senior leaders of the Mumbai Congress. Most leaders believe that contesting the elections in alliance with the Thackeray faction could severely harm the party's prospects. They feel the Congress should contest as many seats as possible to preserve its presence in Mumbai.
A final decision on contesting the elections independently may be taken by the Mumbai Congress by July 7.
When are the BMC elections?
Local body elections in Maharashtra are likely to be held by the end of this year. These polls will cover 29 municipal corporations, 248 municipal councils, 42 nagar panchayats, 32 zilla parishads, and 336 panchayat samitis. Among these, the BMC elections are particularly significant, with 227 seats up for grabs. Given their scale and political importance, the local body elections are often referred to as Maharashtra’s "mini assembly" polls.
