Uddhav's solo contest plan: Party has realised blunder of breaking alliance with BJP, says Bawankule

Shirdi, Jan 11 (PTI) The decision of Shiv Sena (UBT) to fight upcoming civic polls in Maharashtra on its own is due to the party's realisation that parting ways with the BJP and aligning with the Congress in 2019 was a blunder, state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Saturday.

Amid a blame game over the Maha Vikas Aghadi's rout in the state assembly elections, key constituent Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), earlier in the day, announced that it would contest local polls solo.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut cited the lack of opportunities for workers of respective parties in an alliance and the right to organisational growth as the major considerations for contesting solo.

"The Shiv Sena (UBT) has realised its blunder of choosing the Congress over BJP and Devendra Fadnavis in 2019. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party has realised the Congress' ideology cannot take it forward," said Bawankule.

Uddhav Thackeray broke the several decade-old alliance with the BJP after the 2019 assembly polls claiming the latter ad broken a promise to share the chief ministerial post. He aligned with the Congress and (undivided) NCP and was chief minister between 2019 and 2022.

The state BJP chief also said the Mahayuti will try its best to persuade workers to contest local body polls unitedly.

"If one party, or an alliance with one ideology is in power from the Centre to the panchayat level, then each and every paisa earmarked for development reaches the grassroots from Delhi," Bawankule said.

The BJP, which is the largest party in the Mahayuti that also comprises the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP, will not be arrogant and will try to accommodate allies in local polls, he added.

Polls in several urban areas, including Mumbai, Thane and Nagpur, are pending since early 2022.

Speaking about the state BJP's day-long convention here on Sunday, Bawankule said 15000 delegates will take part, including 50 from each assembly constituency.

"The convention is being held to prepare the cadre so that welfare schemes of the Union and state governments reach the beneficiaries at the grassroot level. The convention will be historic," he said.

Bawankule said 'shraddha' (faith) and 'saburi' (patience), ideals associated with Sai Baba, have helped BJP achieve success.

Shirdi, in the state's Ahilyanagar district, houses the world famous temple dedicated to Sai Baba. PTI MR BNM