Shiv Sena (UBT) slams Congress for being ‘inactive’ in INDIA bloc

File picture of Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Shiv Sena (UBT) on Monday (January 13, 2025) slammed Congress for its inactive approach towards the INDIA bloc and undermining regional parties. Party leader Sanjay Raut reiterated that Congress should take the lead in initiating dialogue with allies.

“INDIA bloc fought the Lok Sabha elections well by stopping BJP from having a majority. Post-Lok Sabha, no meeting of the alliance was held. The responsibility lies with Congress being the ‘elder brother’, not ours,” Mr. Raut said, adding that a few convenors should be appointed to communicate with all 30 members of the Opposition alliance.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led party also asked the grand old party to learn unity from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA). In an editorial published on Monday in Shiv Sena (UBT)‘s mouthpiece Saamana, the party raised concerns about the future of the INDIA bloc and said the Congress needed to decide whether to go solo or strengthen the alliance.

Blaming the party for the breakdown in communication, the editorial said, “If Congress has the capacity to defeat ‘Modi thought-process’, then no one will stop them. However, to fight the BJP’s mafia-style politics, unity, the leadership of India Bloc, and the appointment of a convenor are essential. Otherwise, all the hard work will go in vain.”

The party also mentioned that a few INDIA bloc partners were once part of the NDA and they knew from experience that the ruling alliance at the Centre arranged for meetings whether it was in power or not. Senior BJP leaders Pramod Mahajan and L.K. Advani used to meet with the State chief of respective parties, it said.

Attitude towards regional parties

The editorial accused Congress of failing to understand the regional parties and that this attitude would prove detrimental to the Opposition alliance. “Every regional party desires to retain its identity, ideology, and existence, and Congress fails to understand this,” it said.

“In Punjab and Delhi, Congress and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party (AAP) are competing against each other, in Kerala, leftist are fighting against Congress, and in West Bengal, Congress and Trinamool Congress are against each other,” the editorial noted as examples of this attitude.

“Editorial is expressing the views of all alliance partners of the INDIA bloc. Without dialogue, no alliance can be successful. Congress must clear its stand, whether the alliance was only for parliamentary elections,” Mr. Raut said.

The editorial also reflected on recent statements by alliance leaders — Jammu & Kashmir National Conference’s Omar Abdullah wondering if INDIA bloc was formed only for the Lok Sabha polls and if it should be dismissed now that the polls were over; Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Lalu Prasad taking a similar view; Trinamool’s Mamta Banerjee stating, “I formed INDIA bloc; if given the opportunity, I am ready to take leadership role.”

Saamana also slammed Congress for calling alliance partner Mr Kejriwal anti-national and “Farziwal” and suggested the party avoid personal attacks.

Senior Congress leader Ajay Maken had called Mr. Kejriwal anti-national on one occasion, triggering a massive row.

Meanwhile, the ruling alliance Mahayuti also took the opportunity to claim that INDIA bloc was disintegrating as it had no ideology and policy for the nation’s development. State BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said, “The Opposition alliance is broken and scattered, and Shiv Sena (UBT) is also against the Congress in Maharashtra.”