In a significant political development, the Samajwadi Party (SP) announced its decision to quit the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra. SP Chief Abu Azmi stated that the party could no longer remain part of the alliance after Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s “return to justifying the Babri Masjid demolition,” a position the SP called “unacceptable.”
Speaking to the media on Saturday, Azmi explained, “We have decided to quit the MVA. There is no point in continuing with a front that lacks uniformity on key issues and where there has been inadequate consultation with allies.”
The move follows a controversial post by Thackeray’s close aide, MLC Milind Narwekar, on the social media platform X. The post shared an image of the Babri Masjid demolition, featuring Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray, and his son Aaditya, with a caption that read: “Those who did this, I am proud of them.” This echoed a statement made by the late Bal Thackeray hours after the demolition in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
Azmi remarked, “When Uddhav Thackeray joined the MVA in 2019, he embraced secularism to gain Congress support. However, after the Assembly election defeat, he has reverted to his old position of defending the Babri Masjid demolition. This is unacceptable to us, which is why we have chosen to exit the MVA.”
The MVA, which was routed in the recent Assembly elections, saw the Mahayuti alliance sweep the state. The Samajwadi Party contested nine seats in the elections but only won two.
Azmi further criticized the alliance’s internal dynamics, stating, “There’s no point in staying in the MVA when they don’t even communicate with us. We had no involvement in strategizing or ticket distribution.”
In addition to his political exit, Azmi also voiced concerns about the ongoing controversy surrounding Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Calling for a change in the electoral process, he said, “Given the public’s demand and doubts about EVMs being tampered with, I believe the Election Commission should replace EVMs with ballot papers.”
Reacting to Azmi’s decision, a senior Congress leader stated, “Every party has the right to take its own decision. After the MVA’s strong showing in the Lok Sabha elections, smaller parties rallied around Congress. Now, after the Assembly defeat, they are choosing to assert their independent positions.”
