A total of 23 legislators from the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, including prominent MLAs from the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT), were absent from a crucial MVA strategy
meeting held on June 24. The mass absenteeism of key leaders, including Sharad Pawar, Jayant Patil, Nana Patole, and Vijay Wadettiwar, has sparked concerns about the alliance’s internal cohesion. It closely followed a major political shakeup in which six Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha MPsdefected to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction.
The MVA meet
High-profile nameswho skipped the meeting included senior NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, and senior Congress leaders Nana Patole and Vijay Wadettiwar.
Leaders dismissed claims of a rebellion, citing logistical and personal reasons. Jayant Patil clarified that the meeting was abruptly rescheduled from June 23 to June 24, clashing with prior personal commitments. Other legislators cited health issues or local constituency emergencies.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray expressed deep displeasure during the meet, questioning the actual cohesion of the alliance and stating that “unity cannot just be shown in statements”.
‘5? not one MP will defect’: What Sharad Pawar said
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and the party’s working president Supriya Sule on Thursday asserted that no MP from their party would defect to the rival faction.
They were responding to NCP MLA Dharmarao Atram’s claim that five of the eight MPs of Sharad Pawar’s party were ready to cross over to the Nationalist Congress Party led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar by December. “Not a single MP or MLA will defect,” Sharad Pawar told reporters.
Sule, Lok Sabha member from Baramati, said all eight MPs of the NCP (SP) were with the party. “Atram might be knowing more. I do not have any idea. We 8 MPs were united yesterday, are united today and will remain united tomorrow. If Baba Atram has a list of five MPs, he should disclose the names,” she said.
“If he has a list of five MPs, why is he not poaching me? Why is he sparing me?” she quipped.
The cause for alarm
The anxiety and intense media scrutiny around the NCP-SP are driven by recent massive political shifts in the state. Just days prior, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) suffered a devastating blow when six of its nine Lok Sabha MPs defected to join Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
The Anti-Defection Law protects parties unless two-thirds of their elected legislators switch sides simultaneously.
With the NCP-SP currently holding 8 MPs and 10 MLAs, observers note that the party remains a prime target for coordinated poaching operations. The BJP-led NDA requires MPs from the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction to secure a structural two-thirds majority in Parliament, which is necessary to pass major constitutional reforms like the Uniform Civil Code and the Delimitation Bill, say experts.
With PTI, agency inputs
