“There is Mahabharata in Mahayuti”: Congress’s Nana Patole

Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 25 (ANI): Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Sunday stated that there is a ‘Mahabharata’ in the Mahayuti alliance, a fact which Devendra Fadnavis has also acknowledged.

Patole remarked, “We had initially stated that there is a Mahabharata in Mahayuti, and today Devendra Fadnavis has also made it clear.”

Referring to the cases of Shiv Sena and NCP MLAs’ defections being heard by the Supreme Court under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution, Patole said, “The result of the case currently being considered by the Supreme Court will be delivered next month, and we hope that this hidden Mahabharata will then come to the fore.”

Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly are scheduled to be held later this year. However, the Election Commission of India has yet to announce the dates.

Meanwhile, the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls have given a boost to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) winning seven seats, the Congress 13, and the NCP-SP one, bringing the total tally of the alliance to 17.

According to the 2019 Assembly poll data, the BJP holds 105 seats in the 288-member House. The combined Shiv Sena had 56 MLAs, and the combined NCP had 54 MLAs. Following the split in the NCP and Sena, the Shinde-led Shiv Sena has 37 MLAs, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction has 39 MLAs.

The upcoming Maharashtra election will see a contest between the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition, comprising the UBT Shiv Sena, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Congress, and the Maha Yuti Alliance, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde faction), and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction).