Maharashtra: 'Some parties may join INDIA alliance, even merge with Congress after June 4,' says ex-CM Prithviraj Chavan

Lok Sabha elections latest: Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday said that some regional parties might join the INDIA bloc or even merge with the grand old party. The Congress veteran, however, added that everything will depend on the results of the Lok Sabha elections which will be declared on June 4. 

Chavan was replying to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar's recent interview wherein the ace politician said that in the coming years, several regional parties of Maharashtra will associate more closely with the Congress or even merge with it. 

"I was there when Pawar saheb made those remarks. Everything depends on the result of polls on June 4. We are sure there will be an INDIA alliance government at the Centre after June 4 and to take benefits of power, some parties may join the INDIA alliance or even merge with the Congress. But all these things are based on ifs and buts as everything depends on June 4 results," news agency PTI quoted the former Maharashtra CM as saying. 

He added that he agreed with Pawar's views.

Uddhav Thackeray's reaction

Shiv Sena (UBT) and former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, however, had a completely different take on Sharad Pawar's merger comment. Thackeray said that his political outfit was not a "small party" and also hit out at current Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde as well as deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis over their remarks regarding the same. 

"Pawar saheb said while replying to a question that some small regional parties may merge with the Congress. Please tell me, is Shiv Sena a small party?" he asked. Uddhav also seized this opportunity to take aim at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that unlike 2014 and 2019 general elections, he has no issues left during the ongoing polls. 

"I had heard in my childhood that if someone is scared of ghosts, he should chant 'Ram Ram'. Since he is scared of defeat, he is going around the country chanting the name of Ram," Thackeray further said on Prime Minister Modi. 

What did the ruling Mahayuti say? 

Chief Minister Shinde used Pawar's comment to target Uddhav and said that he had already become "Congress-minded": Fadnavis, on the other hand, said that the latest interview by Sharad Pawar was an indication of how difficult it is for the octagenarian politician himself to manage his party. 

Sharad Pawar's nephew and deputy CM Ajit Pawar said that these are his uncle's personal views. He reminisced the merger of Samajwadi Congress Party with the Congress (I) in 1986 to substantiate his point further. 

"On December 8, 1986, Pawar saheb had merged his Samajwadi Congress Party with the Congress (I) and they all were witness to that rally in Aurangabad where he made the announcement," said Pawar.

(With PTI inputs)