Is all well within MVA? Uddhav Thackeray skips Rahul Gandhi's public events in Maharashtra

Rahul Gandhi paid tributes to late Congress MP Vasantrao Chavan at his home in Pune on Thursday. Pic/PTI

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday unveiled a life-size statue of late Congress minister Patangrao Kadam in Sangli district of Maharashtra, reported news agency PTI. The statue of Kadam, who represented the Palus-Kadegaon Assembly seat for several years, is constructed at Wangi in the district.

However, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray did not attend the public meeting addressed by Gandhi in Sangli district. No other leader from Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) attended Gandhi's public events in Maharashtra, raising speculations in the political circles. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, All-India Congress Committee Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, Kolhapur Member of Parliament (MP) Shahu Chhatrapati, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, state Congress chief Nana Patole and senior leader Balasaheb Thorat as well as Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar and party's state unit chief Jayant Patil were present for Gandhi's public events. Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress are part of the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which was in power in the state from November 2019 to June 2022. They also fought the Lok Sabha elections together earlier this year.

Last week, Kadam's son and legislator Vishwajit said Thackeray did not confirm his participation owing to the former Chief Minister's prior engagements.

Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, is on a one-day visit to Maharashtra on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, he met the family members of late Congress Nanded MP Vasant Chavan - who passed away on August 26 - in Pune and expressed his condolences. After that, the former Congress chief visited Sangli, where he unveiled Kadam's life-size statue at Wangi and also visited a museum dedicated to the late leader. Thereafter, he addressed a public rally in the district.

Rift in MVA over CM face?

Thackeray's absence assumes significance as Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate was defeated in the Lok Sabha elections from Sangli constituency by Congress rebel Vishal Patil. However, following the elections, Patil extended his support to the Congress.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief has been insisting that MVA's chief ministerial candidate be declared before the Assembly elections. However, Pawar and the Congress are not on the same page.

On Wednesday, the NCP (SP) supremo said that the decision on the chief minister can be made after the poll results based on which party wins the most number of Assembly seats.

Amid these differences in opinion, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator and Thackeray's son Aaditya maintained that there was no tussle in MVA alliance over the chief minister's face.

(With PTI inputs)