MVA allies to release joint manifesto soon, says Uddhav Thackeray

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will soon release a combined election manifesto of the three allies, the Congress, the Nationalist Congress Party-SP, and the Shiv Sena-UBT, Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray here on Tuesday.

The proposed joint manifesto will incorporate all the Maharashtra-related aspects in the Congress documents announced last week, he said at the release of a song to popularise his party’s ‘Flaming Torch’ symbol, allotted first for a by-election and then given to his party to January 24, while the (undivided) Shiv Sena name and symbol of ‘Bow and Arrow’ was given to the party now headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Thackeray reiterated that the ‘Flaming Torch’ has reached every nook and cranny of state and vowed that “it will reduce to ashes the dictatorial regime of the Bharatiya Janata Party” while exuding confidence that the MVA would romp home in all the 48 LS seats in Maharashtra.

Responding to a question on the Congress rebel Vishal P. Patil filing multiple nominations for the Sangli Lok Sabha seat to challenge the SS-UBT nominee Chandrahar Patil, Thackeray said that it’s the individual responsibility of the MVA partners to prevent any dissidence within their ranks.

“The MVA allies held a joint press conference last week and announced the seat-distribution formula… Now, if there is a rebellion, then the partner concerned put a check on such activities,” he said.

The SS-UBT is contesting 21 seats, the Congress 17 and the NCP-SP has put up candidates in the remaining 10 constituencies, but there are still rumblings among the allies on the seat distribution agreement, sparking concerns.

Party sources say that the MVA allies could face rebels and independents in at least four or five constituencies in the state which may mar the prospects of the official nominees.