The embattled Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra on Saturday lost ally Samajwadi Party (SP), which decided to withdraw its support to the MVA after a controversial social media post by Milind Narvekar, a senior leader of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT), commemorating the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

Narvekar’s post, shared on the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, had a photograph of the mosque along with a quote from Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray saying: “I am proud of those who did this.” The post also featured images of Uddhav Thackeray, his son Aaditya Thackeray, and Narvekar himself.

Reacting sharply to the post, SP state president Abu Asim Azmi declared the party’s decision to exit the MVA , stating that the SP could not associate with ideologies that contradict its secular principles.

“The Samajwadi Party cannot remain aligned with any form of communal ideology. This remark glorifying the demolition of the Babri Masjid is unacceptable, and we have decided to part ways with the MVA,” Azmi said in a statement. He emphasized that the SP is prepared to contest elections independently in Maharashtra if necessary.

SP leader Rais Shaikh echoed Azmi’s sentiments, highlighting that the foundation of the MVA alliance was built on secular values and a commitment to protecting the Constitution. “When such radical ideologies surface, it forces parties like ours to reconsider our position,” Shaikh stated.

The MVA, a coalition of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar (NCP-SP), and the Congress, was formed to counter the BJP-led Mahayuti in Maharashtra. However, the controversial remark seemed to be the last straw in an already fragile alliance.

Azmi expressed disappointment, questioning the ideological consistency of the Shiv Sena (UBT). “How are these actions any different from the BJP’s stance? We cannot align with such double standards,” he remarked.

The SP’s exit is a blow to the MVA, which has been grappling with diminishing electoral fortunes. In the last Assembly elections, the Congress secured 16 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) 20, and NCP 10, reflecting a steep decline in their collective influence.

The fallout also coincided with the boycott of the Maharashtra Assembly oath-taking ceremony by MVA legislators, who alleged electoral manipulation through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). SP leaders, however, defied the boycott call and participated in the proceedings.

“We took the oath because we respect the democratic process. But we cannot support a coalition that contradicts the values it claims to uphold,” Azmi explained.

With only two MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly, the SP’s departure may not drastically alter the numerical strength of the MVA. It underscores deeper ideological rifts within the coalition. Political analysts believe this episode could push the MVA to reassess its strategy and internal dynamics. The electoral setback to the Shiv Sena (UBT) had been ascribed to it foregoing its ideological moorings which is closer to the BJP’s Hindutva.

Meanwhile, the BJP-led Mahayuti, which won a resounding 230 seats in the 288-member assembly, continues to solidify its position in the state.

The MLAs of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have boycotted the oath-taking ceremony of new MLAs elected in the recently-completed election to the Assembly citing electronic voting machine tampering. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray led the boycott.

Thackeray said the MLAs of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) will not take the oath today as a mark of protest against what they believed was a murder of democracy.

The session, overseen by pro-tem Speaker and BJP MLA Kalidas Kolambkar, also includes the Speaker’s election and a trust vote for the newly sworn-in government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar.

Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar echoed the opposition’s sentiments, calling the election results “tainted” and reflective of public discontent. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance secured a sweeping victory with 230 of 288 seats, but opposition leaders remain unconvinced of the integrity of the electoral process.

Aaditya Thackeray further slammed the BJP for delaying the announcement of the Mahayuti”s chief ministerial nominee, labeling the move undemocratic. Thackeray said the voters of Maharashtra have been insulted by the cloaks and daggers within the ruling alliance on the CM nominee.

Opposition MLAs also skipped the grand swearing-in ceremony held at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan on Wednesday, an event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers, and Bollywood and cricket celebrities.

The MVA has alleged right from the day of the results that it suspected some hanky-panky with EVMs. Congress leader Nana Patole had claimed some 50,000 votes in some 50 constituencies had been cast in an hour towards the end of the voting day. The NCP (SP) has also moved the Supreme Court seeking a directive to the Election Commission to come clean on the issue. The state Chief Electoral Officer, however, had junked these claims in a recent interview.

The protesting farmer unions, Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) (SKM-NP) decided to recall the group of 101 farmers who had been marching towards Delhi. This move followed after several farmers including leaders were injured by tear gas shelling from the Haryana Police. 

A group of 101 farmers began their march to Delhi at the Sambhu border, only to be halted a few metres away by a line of barricades. The Haryana police intervened, mentioning a prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), asking the farmers not to proceed further.

Farmers leader Sarwan Singh Pandher told a news agency that they have called back the jatha for today in view of the injuries suffered by a few farmers. Reportedly, farmers are marching to demand a legal guarantee for the minimum support price of crops.

Furthermore, the Ambala district administration has imposed a ban on any unlawful assembly of five or more persons. A group of farmers, holding union flags, pushed down the iron mesh set up by security personnel on the bridge over the Ghaggar River.

Also, mobile internet and bulk SMS services were suspended in 11 villages of Ambala district by the Haryana government on Friday, effective until December 9. The ban reportedly covers Dangdehri, Lohgarh, Manakpur, Dadiyana, Bari Ghel, Lhars, Kalu Majra, Devi Nagar, Saddopur, Sultanpur, and Kakru villages.

Farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13, after security forces halted their march to Delhi. The group began its march at 1 pm, but after covering a few metres, they were stopped by a multi-layered barricade erected by the Haryana government.

The group while chanting Satnam Waheguru and carrying farmers’ union flags and essential items, the jatha crossed the first layer of barricades with ease but could not proceed further. Reports said that a few farmers pushed aside the iron mesh and barbed wire, while others uprooted iron nails from National Highway-44. Water cannon vehicles have also been deployed at the Shambhu border point.