Congress not upset over demand that Pawar should head UPA: Sanjay Raut

The Shiv Sena spokesperson added that several regional parties who are not a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance or UPA should be taken under the aegis of the UPA

Amid speculations that the Congress leaders are upset over demands that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar should head the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), Sena leader Sanjay Raut dismissed the speculations saying that many Congress leaders want to strengthen the UPA.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. (PTI)

NCP MP Supriya Sule met Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Thursday morning. There were speculations that the meeting took place to discuss the Congress leadership’s unhappiness about the demand. However, Raut dismissed that rumour.

The Congress leadership is not upset over the demand that Sharad Pawar should head UPA, Raut said. “In fact, we get such suggestions from the Congress that UPA should be strengthened. It can be Sonia Gandhi’s stand as well. Sonia Gandhi has led UPA resolutely for a long time. But she has been unwell and there are [political] developments happening in the country. At such a time, several regional parties have demanded that UPA should be headed by a person outside the Congress. UPA, currently, is in a handicapped state,” the Sena’s chief spokesperson said.

He added that several regional parties who are not a part of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance or UPA should be taken under the aegis of the UPA. “There is no question of how many MPs are backing Pawar saheb. Almost all [political] parties besides the BJP have demanded that UPA should be reconstituted and there should be a change in UPA leadership. It is not just our demand,” he said.

Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said, “UPA constituents have decided who should head UPA. I had asked the chief minister two days ago if he (Sanjay Raut) is the spokesperson of Sharad Pawar. Our only suggestion is that they should not discuss things that are not related to them... Shiv Sena is not a member of UPA, they should know this. One who is not a member [of UPA] must not enter into this discussion. There is no question of being upset over it.”