Congress welcomes Thackeray alliance, but says party cadre prefers solo run in municipal polls

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], December 24 : Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Wednesday said the Congress remains firmly committed to the Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA) and the INDIA bloc, even as he welcomed any political understanding between the Thackeray brothers in Mumbai.
"When one family unites and contests elections together, we have no reason to feel upset. We congratulate them and wish them success," he said.
"But remember, Congress has never been inclined to align with MNS. Our consistent position has always been to stand with Shiv Sena and Sharad Pawar yesterday, and the same remains today," he added.
Addressing a press conference in Nagpur on Wednesday, Wadettiwar asserted that Congress has emerged as the single largest party in recent municipal council elections by contesting independently, reflecting the confidence and preference of its grassroots workers in local self-government polls.
Referring to the results, Wadettiwar said Congress performed better than its allies in terms of vote share, corporator seats and mayoral positions despite not entering into alliances. "This clearly shows the mindset of Congress workers, who believe in fighting local body elections on their own strength," he said.
Raising concerns over Marathi identity, Wadettiwar said the Marathi language and the rights of Marathi people were facing encroachment in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai. He alleged that there was a systematic attempt to weaken Mumbai and bring it under external influence.
"If the pride and rights of the Marathi people are to be protected, one must stand firmly with them. That sentiment is theirs and also ours," he said, endorsing remarks made by Uddhav Thackeray on the issue.
On the question of the mayor's post and speculation about strains within the MVA, Wadettiwar said linking Lok Sabha or Assembly alliances with local body elections was inappropriate. "Local self-government elections depend on local workers and local equations. There is no question of the alliance breaking," he asserted, adding that Shiv Sena (UBT) continues to be part of the INDIA alliance.
Commenting on alliances in Mumbai, Wadettiwar said Congress and the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) have agreed to contest together and that the issue of open spaces is now closed. However, he clarified that no final seat-sharing formula has been decided with Vanchit across the state and denied reports of a 50-50 arrangement. "Talks are ongoing in several regions and are in the final stages," he said.
On local variations such as Akola, Wadettiwar said alliances depend on ground realities and do not indicate a breakdown of state-level unity. He also dismissed statements by Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule as election-time pressure tactics, alleging that the BJP relies on money power and administrative machinery.
Responding to questions on "Operation Lotus" in Chandrapur, Wadettiwar said Congress groups there remain intact with a strong majority. He also made a sarcastic remark targeting BJP leader Navneet Rana, drawing laughter at the press conference.
Emphasising Congress' inclusive ideology, Wadettiwar said the party does not believe in provincialism, caste or linguistic divisions. "Congress has the support of people from all castes, religions and communities. Whether Marathi or non-Marathi, every citizen is the owner of this nation," he said, appealing to voters to support Congress for unity and dignity.