Did climate change claim MVA’s Vajramuth rallies?

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray with NCP, Congress leaders during the MVA’s Vajramuth rally at BKC on May 1. Pic/Rane Ashish

A dramatic twist in the political arena, thanks to developments in the Nationalist Congress Party, and effects of climate change in parts of the state where a heavy downpour has caused flooding in the month of May, has claimed its first casualty. The Maha Vikas Aghadi's forthcoming 'Vajramuth' rally, a joint show of strength of the tripartite arrangement, has been cancelled or postponed indefinitely.

So far, events have been held in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad), Nagpur and Mumbai. The next rallies were scheduled at Pune (May 14), Kolhapur (May 28), Nashik (June 3) and Amravati (June 11). However, there have been varying versions from the MVA leaders in defence of the cancellation or rescheduling.

The NCP leaders and workers are still in shock after their president Sharad Pawar's decision to step down. As per distribution of work between the MVA partners, the Pune event is the NCP's responsibility, but the party may not be in a position to put everything in order for the rally.

When asked, NCP leader Praful Patel said the rallies have not been cancelled but rescheduled due to climate change and heat. "The MVA leaders discussed it after the Mumbai rally, that the events be avoided considering the weather. The rallies will happen in future."

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Thackeray Sena's Sanjay Raut said the schedule of the Kolhapur rally has not been changed. State Congress president Nana Patole attributed the cancellation to heavy rain while his NCP counterpart blamed it on heat.