The Samajwadi Party has two MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly.
In a blow to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and the Opposition in Maharashtra, the Samajwadi Party has decided to quit the alliance after a controversial remark from a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray on the demolition of the Babri Masjid.
On the 32nd anniversary of the Babri Mosque demolition, Milind Narvekar, a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader posted a photo of the mosque, accompanied by a quote from Shiv Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray which read, "I am proud of those who did this."
M Narvekar's post also featured images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and himself.
The Samajwadi Party has two MLAs in the Maharashtra Assembly. After MVA parties skipped the oath-taking ceremony today, Samajwadi Party state president Abu Asim Azmi and party leader Rais Shaikh defied the boycott call and took their oaths.
"Samajwadi Party can never remain with communal ideology, hence we separate ourselves from Maha Vikas Aghadi," Mr Azmi said in a statement.
"Samajwadi Party is okay with going it alone in Maharashtra but it is not okay with becoming a part of Shiv Sena UBT's communal ideology while remaining in the Maha Vikas Aghadi," he said in a separate post.
"An advertisement was given by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished Babri masjid. His (Uddhav Thackeray) aide has also posted on X hailing the demolition of the mosque," Mr Azmi said, as quoted by news agency PTI. "We are quitting the MVA. I am speaking to (Samajwadi Party president) 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?"
Besides the two Samajwadi Party wins in the Maharashtra elections, the Congress contested 103 seats but managed to win only 16. The Shiv Sena (UBT), which fielded candidates in 89 constituencies, won 20 seats, while the NCP, led by Sharad Pawar, contested 87 seats and secured victory in just 10.
"Milind Narvekar, who is from 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 should reflect on this. A minimum understanding was established to set aside radical Hindu ideologies, but if such a radical stance is adopted, parties like the Samajwadi Party and others will need to reconsider their position. This is our perspective. We want Uddhav's Shiv Sena to address this issue and clarify why such sentiments are being expressed," Mr Shaikh added.
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.
"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, echoed concerns over what they termed an "undemocratic attitude" of the ruling alliance and reiterated demands for elections to be conducted using ballot papers instead of EVMs.