No chance of Uddhav Thackeray going back to BJP-led NDA: Sharad Pawar NCP faction leader Jayant Patil

NEW DELHI: Seeking to dispel ongoing speculation about a possible political shift, Maharashtra NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Jayant Patil said on Thursday that Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will not switch to the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
In the recent Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena (UBT) secured nine seats in Maharashtra, matching the BJP's tally, while the rival faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde won seven seats.At a press conference, Patil, after meeting Thackeray, congratulated him on the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) impressive performance in Maharashtra, where the opposition alliance won 30 out of 48 seats. "There is no chance that he will switch sides," Patil emphasized, addressing the rumors that emerged following Thackeray's absence from a key INDIA alliance meeting in New Delhi and media reports suggesting possible backchannel discussions with the BJP.
Patil said that Thackeray, the former Chief Minister, is committed to establishing an MVA government in Maharashtra, with state assembly elections slated for October 2024. The MVA alliance comprises the NCP (SP), Shiv Sena (UBT), and Congress, all of which are also members of the national opposition bloc, INDIA.
"There is tremendous unrest among people about the state government," Patil said, criticizing the current ruling coalition, which includes the BJP, the Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction.

(With inputs from agencies)