Mumbai: In a setback for Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the opposition in Maharashtra, the Samajwadi Party has decided to withdraw from the alliance after controversial comments made by one of the closest aides of Uddhav Thackeray about the Babri Masjid demolition.

On the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Mosque demolition, Milind Narvekar, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader posted a photo of the mosque, along with a quote from Shiv Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray which read, "I am proud of those who did this."

M Narvekar's post also had images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and himself.

Maharashtra assembly has two MLAs under Samajwadi Party. After today MVA parties boycotted the oath taking, Samajwadi Party's state president Abu Asim Azmi and party leader Rais Shaikh snubbed the boycott call to take their oaths.

"An advertisement was placed by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper felicitating those who destroyed Babri masjid. His (Uddhav Thackeray) associate has also posted on X welcoming the destruction of the mosque," Mr Azmi said, according to news agency PTI. "We are quitting the MVA. I am speaking to Akhilesh Singh Yadav. If anyone in the MVA speaks such language, what is the difference between the BJP and them? Why should we stay with them?"

The two Samajwadi Party victories in the Maharashtra elections were exceptions to the rule, however, as the Congress fought on 103 seats and emerged victorious in just 16. The Shiv Sena (UBT) fielded candidates in 89 constituencies but won only 20. The NCP, under the leadership of Sharad Pawar, contested 87 seats and won a mere 10.

"Milind Narvekar, who belongs to Uddhav Thackeray's party, posted a tweet, and we have only responded to him. The MVA was formed on two key principles: protecting the Constitution and upholding secular values. Shiv Sena has received votes in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha in the name of the MVA, with support from people of all religions and secular-minded individuals," said Samajwadi leader Rais Shaikh.

The Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena faction, and Ajit Pawar's NCP faction, won 230 of the 288 seats. This was followed by the swearing-in of Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister, with Mr Shinde and Mr Pawar taking oath as Deputy Chief Ministers on December 5.

"Shiv Sena needs to introspect over it. As a minimum consensus was devised to keep those extreme philosophies of radical Hindus far from the political ambit, had such a stance been made, a party like the Samajwadi or any party will have to re-establish their stand upon this ideology. That's our say. We request Uddhav's Shiv Sena to do this by clarifying that what motives are driving to speak the same way".

Newly-elected MLAs of the MVA alliance staged a walkout during the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly's oath-taking ceremony today, alleging the ruling Mahayuti coalition's victory was engineered through manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

MVA leaders gathered near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue at the Maharashtra Assembly to explain their stance.

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"We boycotted the oath-taking ceremony today as democracy is being murdered by the use of EVMs. This (the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections) is not the mandate of the public it is the mandate of EVM and the Election Commission of India," said Aditya Thackeray.

Other senior opposition leaders, including Nana Patole of Congress and Jitendra Awhad of the NCP, reiterated the concerns over what they called the "undemocratic attitude" of the ruling alliance and reiterated demands that elections should be conducted by using ballot papers instead of EVMs.

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— Milind Narvekar (@NarvekarMilind_) December 5, 2024