Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday reacted sharply to reports of a local-level understanding between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in Ambernath, ahead of the crucial civic elections scheduled for January 15. Calling the development unacceptable, the Chief Minister made it clear that such a partnership goes against the party’s political stance.
Speaking to a television news channel, Fadnavis said he was unhappy with the development and stressed that an alliance with the Congress should not have occurred under any circumstances. He indicated that the move appeared to be the result of decisions taken at the local level, without broader political approval.
Fadnavis revealed that, according to his understanding, discussions were ongoing in Ambernath with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, both of whom are part of the ruling coalition in Maharashtra. Against this backdrop, the reported BJP–Congress tie-up came as an unwelcome surprise.
“Alliance with Congress in any form is wrong. I will be asking questions to my workers,” the Chief Minister said, signaling possible internal accountability over the episode.
