Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi on Saturday announced that his party has decided to exit the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Maharashtra’s Opposition alliance. Azmi criticized Shiv Sena (UBT) for pursuing a “Hindutva agenda” after its defeat in the Maharashtra assembly elections, which led the Samajwadi Party to reconsider its association with the coalition.

The Samajwadi Party’s withdrawal comes after a controversial incident involving Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s close aide, Milind Narvekar. Narvekar allegedly praised the demolition of the Babri mosque and shared a related newspaper advertisement, which Azmi condemned.

Azmi, also the head of the Samajwadi Party in Maharashtra, expressed dissatisfaction with the coordination within MVA, particularly regarding seat-sharing and the campaign. He revealed that after the election defeat, Uddhav Thackeray had reportedly instructed party leaders and workers to adopt a more aggressive Hindutva stance. He pointed to a December 6 social media post from Shiv Sena (UBT), which he said supported the Babri mosque demolition, as the final straw.

“We cannot tolerate this. We have decided to leave the MVA,” Azmi stated. He also criticized an advertisement by Shiv Sena (UBT) in a newspaper congratulating those who demolished the mosque and cited Narvekar’s social media post in support of the demolition.

Azmi also questioned, “If anyone in the MVA speaks such language, what is the difference between the BJP and them? Why should we stay with them?”

Milind Narvekar, a Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC, had posted a picture of the Babri mosque demolition along with a quote from Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, saying, “I am proud of those who did this.” The post included images of Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray, and Narvekar himself.

Azmi confirmed the Samajwadi Party’s exit from the MVA and said he would discuss the matter further with party president Akhilesh Yadav.