Devendra Fadnavis came down heavily on BJP leaders for allegedly uniting with Congress and AIMIM in Ambernath and Akola and warned of action. He made it clear that such arrangements were not approved by the party's senior leadership and violated organisational discipline.
"I am making it very clear that any alliance with the Congress or the AIMIM will not be accepted. If any local leader has taken such a decision on their own, it is wrong in terms of discipline and action will be taken," Fadnavis told a news channel, adding that instructions had already been issued to undo such alliances.
On Wednesday, reports claimed that the BJP has entered into post-poll alliances with rivals Congress and AIMIM in some municipal councils in Maharashtra. Following the civic elections last month, some BJP leaders joined hands with the Congress, its arch-rival, and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under the banner of 'Ambernath Vikas Aghadi' to form the Ambernath Municipal Council leadership.
The BJP leaders also struck a similar alliance with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and several other parties in the Akot Municipal Council in Akola district.
Congress leader Sachin Sawant on Wednesday rejected reports of a Congress-BJP alliance in Maharashtra’s Ambernath Municipal Council polls. His clarification came after the buzz that the unexpected political realignment had happened to secure power, sidelining the Shiv Sena headed by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Sawant clarified that it is not just an alliance between the BJP and the Congress, but leaders of various political parties are coming together to fight against what he called Shiv Sena's "corruption".
"In Ambernath, setting aside party affiliations and symbols, various party workers have formed the Ambernath Development Front against the corruption perpetrated by the local-level Shinde Sena. Independents are also included in this. Therefore, news reports claiming that Congress and BJP have come together are incorrect. Please take note," he wrote on X.
The reports of the alliance had sparked sharp resentment within the Shiv Sena, a party with which the BJP shares power in Maharashtra, but now pushed out of the power equation in Ambernath.
Balaji Kinikar, an MLA from the Shinde camp, termed the tie-up an “unholy alliance” and accused the BJP of betrayal.
“The party that spoke of a Congress-free India is now ruling with the Congress. This is nothing but stabbing the Shiv Sena in the back,” he alleged.
