Chasm in MVA? Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole hits out at NCP for Zila Parishad poll tie-up with BJP

Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has witnessed several ups and downs since it came into existence, but the latest rumblings is being witnessed in the wake of Sharad Pawar-led  Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joining hands with rival BJP in Gondia Zilla Parishad elections to keep Congress away from power.

Irked over this development, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole accused ally NCP of being a "backstabber". Speaking to reporters in Mumbai on Wednesday, Patole said that the Congress high-command will be apprised about the "machinations" of NCP of the last two-and-a-half years in the forthcoming Udaipur conclave. 

Maharashtra Congress chief said that friendship should be done with all honesty and that "an enemy attacking openly from the front is better", adding that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, was formed to keep the BJP out of power.

"Despite being in an alliance, the NCP encroached on Congress in Malegaon, Bhiwandi and several other places. Yesterday, the NCP joined hands with the BJP in the Gondia Zilla Parishad to elect the president. They have stabbed Congress in the back," Patole is quoted by PTI as saying.

Patole said that in the Bhandara Zilla Parishad, the Congress foiled BJP's attempt to hurt the Grand Old Party. Flaying the NCP, he said, the latter had earlier "encroached upon" the Congress in Malegaon and Bhiwandi despite being in an alliance, which proves that NCP considers Congress as its rival.

He further added, "MVA partners Jayant Patil (NCP), Subhash Desai (Shiv Sena) and myself had decided that efforts should be made to ensure that maximum Zilla Parishads stay with the MVA."

Notably, the NCP on Tuesday joined hands with rival BJP to elect the president of the Gondia Zilla Parishad, keeping the Congress away from power with the backing of Independents and a local outfit.

In Bhandara, five rebel members of the BJP-led by former MLA Charan Waghmare joined hands with Congress to elect the party candidate as the president of the ZP. A BJP member was elected as the vice president of the Zilla Parishad in Bhandara.

Responding to Patole's charge, Maharashtra NCP president and minister Jayant Patil said the NCP always wants the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents to remain together.

Talking to reporters, he said, "the party will take note if something different has happened in Gondia as alleged by Nana Patole. But there is also a need to think about who gets along well or shares different opinions at the local level. We will take information on that."

"There may be some problem in (local leaders of NCP and Congress) coming together at the local level due to differences in opinions. We will go into details of this," the NCP leader was quoted as saying.

Jayant Patil further said that the NCP never intended to disturb the MVA.