All is well with alliance, says Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut amid rumours of patch-up with BJP

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's comments come amid indications from the Congress that it may fight the assembly elections in Maharashtra alone.

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said on Monday attempts to break the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) will go in vain as he stressed that the alliance is united and committed to complete its five-year term in Maharashtra amid rumours of a reconciliation with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "The parties in MVA - the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP - support the chief minister. They are standing together and will remain together. We are committed to run the government for five years," Raut said.

Sanjay Raut also commented on the letter of the Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik to Uddhav Thackeray urging the chief minister to join hands with the BJP. (File Photo)

Watch: Sena responds to rift rumours in MVA, Sharad Pawar meets Prashant Kishor again





"Outsiders who want to form government in the state and are restless after losing power may try but the alliance will continue. People may try to break the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP but they would not succeed," the Shiv Sena leader said.

Taking a jibe at the opposition, Sanjay Raut said that the opposition leaders should perform Shavasana on the occasion of International Yoga Day.

Sanjay Raut's comments come amid indications from the Congress that it may fight the assembly elections in Maharashtra alone. Congress' Maharashtra unit chief Nana Patole said on Sunday that the MVA alliance was formed in Maharashtra for five years and was not a permanent fixture. Patole on June 14, too, indicated that the party will contest the next assembly polls alone and not under the Maha Vikas Aghadi. Mumbai Congress chief Bhai Jagtap told news agency ANI that his party will contest the elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) alone.

Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, on Saturday, without naming the Congress party said that people would "beat with chappals" those who only talk about contesting polls alone without offering solutions to people's problems. A day later Patole toned down and said the Congress party stands strong with Thackeray with "all its might" until the government completes its full five-year term.

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has called a meeting of the coalition Rashtra Manch with Trinamool Congress’ Yashwant Sinha in Delhi on Tuesday. However, the Congress party is not part of these meetings.

Raut also commented on the letter of the Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik to Uddhav Thackeray urging the chief minister to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party once again to save its leaders from being harassed by central agencies. "This is his opinion but the role of the party is decided by the party chief Uddhav Thackeray after discussing with all," he said.

The Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP came together to form the MVA government in Maharashtra after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party fell out with the BJP in 2019.