Mumbai: In 2019, Sharad Pawar stitched collectively an unlikely alliance by bringing collectively two arch-rivals: the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Congress.

Six years later, the architect of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) finds himself in a troublesome spot, caught between an previous ally and a brand new one. Whereas the Congress desires to go solo, Thackeray is planning to tie up with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

In Mumbai, Pawar actually doesn’t have an choice. He has to ally with one or the opposite as a result of the Nationalist Congress Celebration (Sharadchandra Pawar), or the NCP (SP), has a restricted base within the metropolis.

State Election Fee information reveals that in 2017, the undivided Shiv Sena bought 28 p.c vote share, the Bharatiya Janata Celebration (BJP) 27 p.c, and the Congress 16 p.c. The undivided NCP bought solely 5 p.c, lower than the MNS’s 8 p.c vote share.

The NCP’s solely base in Mumbai was due to leaders like Nawab Malik. In any other case, it has at all times been a marginalised participant within the BMC elections.

However now the social gathering has cut up, and gamers like Nawab Malik and his brother, ex-corporator Kaptan Malik, who managed some pockets of Mumbai like Anushakti Nagar and Kurla, aren’t with Pawar anymore, and that can influence its possibilities additional.

In keeping with NCP(SP) sources, Pawar believes that every one like-minded folks ought to come ahead to defeat the BJP, and if the MNS is on board, there isn’t a hurt in bringing Raj’s social gathering into the fold.

“Pawar saheb may be very clear. He desires the MVA/INDIA bloc to remain collectively, and the MNS is at the moment tagging together with the Sena UBT. In order that shouldn’t be an issue. He was, in any case, an architect of the MVA. He’ll take the correct name,” an NCP(SP) chief instructed ThePrint.

Grand experiment 

The MVA was Pawar’s grand experiment of making an attempt to sew collectively an Opposition alliance, one thing he tried to do on the Centre too in 2019 and 2024, however with out a lot success.

The INDIA (Indian Nationwide Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc nationally is wanting weak as it’s shedding state elections one after the opposite.

Nonetheless, the Aghadi was a hit in Maharashtra with the alliance ruling for 2 and a half years, together with the pandemic years, earlier than it was toppled by the revolt of Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde.

Pawar wish to defend this success story as a lot as attainable, particularly at a time when his social gathering is changing into extra marginalised in Maharashtra politics by way of numbers because the cut up in 2023.

Within the 2024 meeting elections, Pawar’s social gathering solely bought 10 of the 288 seats.

Whereas the NCP has been an previous ally of the Congress, it was Pawar who strongly backed Uddhav Thackeray. In 2017, when Uddhav met Pawar with an alliance proposal, the veteran additionally known as the Sena chief and his social gathering “like-minded”.

“Uddhav, accompanied by Sanjay Raut, met me at my Mumbai residence 10 days in the past. We additionally mentioned the necessity for an alliance of all like-minded events within the nation,” he stated after a two-day NCP workshop in Karjat.

Nonetheless, he selected to not go along with him at that time, solely to then later ally in 2019.

Even within the MVA, making Uddhav Thackeray the chief minister was at Pawar’s insistence. That makes this choice even trickier for him.

Taking to social media, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut stated, “The Congress may require the approval of excessive command to take the MNS alongside. However that’s not the case with us. The Shiv Sena and the MNS are collectively and that is the want of the folks. And even Sharad Pawar and Left events are with us.”

दिल्लीतून आदेश आल्याशिवाय
म न से ला आघाडीत घेणार नाही: मुंबई कांग्रेस
हा कांग्रेस चा व्यक्तिगत निर्णय असू शकतो
शिवसेना आणि म न से आधीच एकत्र आले आहेत,ही लोकेच्छा आहे
त्यासाठी कुणाच्या आदेश किंवा परवानगीची गरज नाही
श्री शरद पवार आणि डावे पक्ष सुद्धा एकत्र आहेत
मुंबई वाचवा! pic.twitter.com/kwDg49jJjy

— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) November 22, 2025

Final week, a Congress delegation led by Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad met with Pawar in Mumbai with a proposal to hitch fingers. Pawar is predicted to carry a gathering with the social gathering’s Mumbai unit to take the dialogue forward.

“Conserving the communal forces away who do divisive politics is our main aim. This is not going to do any good to the nation nor town. However no choice has been taken but. We’re nonetheless within the technique of chatting with our ‘karyakartas’ (staff),” NCP(SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad instructed ThePrint.

---

Additionally Learn: BMC polls on horizon, Congress extends hand to ‘pure ally’. Pawar to convene assembly subsequent week

---

Pawar’s conundrum

Because the cut up from the Congress in 1999, when Pawar shaped the NCP, he has at all times allied with the Congress. Even the Congress feels that the NCP is its pure ally. Barring the 2014 Maharashtra polls, they’ve fought all Lok Sabha and meeting elections collectively.

Nonetheless, after the debacle of the 2024 state meeting elections, one group within the Congress feels that there isn’t a profit in allying with the Shiv Sena. For the Mumbai Congress, going with Uddhav gained’t profit it even when the MNS doesn’t come on board.

Congress leaders say Uddhav’s recognition amongst minorities is rising, prompting Muslims to vote for his social gathering, shifting the vote financial institution to the Shiv Sena (UBT).

Pawar will attempt as a lot as attainable to maintain the MVA collectively, but it surely seems to be tough this time due to the compulsions of its constituent events.

NCP(SP) sources instructed ThePrint that Pawar thinks there isn’t a hurt in getting the MNS on board if they could be a a part of the ‘Satyacha Morcha’ (rally in opposition to the Election Fee held in Mumbai on 1 November).

“For Sharad Pawar saheb, it would positively be a difficult scenario, however he’s saheb. Nobody can guess what’s going on in his thoughts, and he’ll take the correct choice on the proper time,” stated the chief quoted above.

On Saturday, NCP(SP) leaders held a gathering, and after the assembly, Awhad instructed reporters that it was necessary that every one pure allies keep collectively.

“The employees and leaders have conveyed that the election must be fought as an MVA and with all our different allies in opposition to the BJP. Our place from ‘Delhi to galli’ is identical, that’s, to defeat the communal forces. For this, the employees really feel that the election must be fought unitedly. We now have conveyed that to Pawar saheb,” he stated.

(Edited by Sugita Katyal)

---

Additionally Learn: Maharashtra’s alliance circus seems to be to Bihar template for a script rewrite forward of native physique polls

---