India, Nov. 22 -- Days after the Congress signalled its discomfort with forging an alliance with the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for the Mumbai civic polls, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar indicated that he wanted the opposition coalition, Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), to remain intact and contest the elections along with the Raj Thackeray-led party.

According to NCP (SP) insiders, both Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray are expected to make efforts to keep the MVA united for the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections. However, Mumbai Congress president Varsha Gaikwad pushed back on Friday and asked Uddhav Thackeray to choose between the Congress and the MNS.

"I can clearly say that we are not going ...