No question of taking back rebels, say Uddhav, Sharad Pawar

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Saturday stated categorically that there was no question of taking back those who sided with the rebel factions.

The two leaders were speaking at a joint press conference of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of the Sena (UBT), NCP(SP) and Congress, first after the Opposition alliance outperformed the ruling coalition in the Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra.

During the press conference in Mumbai, both Thackeray and Sharad Pawar said "there is no question of taking rebel leaders back".

The Shiv Sena split in June 2022 after Eknath Shinde rebelled along with 39 MLAs and toppled the Thackeray-led MVA government. Shinde then became chief minister by joining hands with the BJP.

One year later, the Nationalist Congress Party also broke into two factions as Ajit Pawar joined the government along with eight MLAs.

But after the MVA won 30 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in the recent general elections, there was speculation that some leaders may return to the parties led by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, respectively.

Notably, Parner MLA Nilesh Lanke left the Ajit Pawar-led NCP just before the Lok Sabha elections. Lanke contested from Ahmednagar seat on the NCP (SP) ticket and defeated sitting BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil.

Bajrang Sonawane also left the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and contested the Lok Sabha polls from Beed on NCP (SP) ticket. He defeated former state minister and BJP candidate Pankaja Munde.

There is reportedly discontent within the NCP and the Shiv Sena, allies of the ruling BJP, over the allotment of portfolios in the Centre.

The Ajit Pawar-led party was offered only a Minister of State post with independent charge, which it refused, while only one Shiv Sena MP -- Prataprao Jadhav -- was included in the Union government as MoS (independent charge) though the Shinde-led party has seven MPs.