Raut dispels rumours of Sena (UBT) split from MVA

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday scotched rumours about the party splitting away from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after the opposition combine failed to carry forward the optimism it had displayed in the Lok Sabha results

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Thursday scotched rumours about the party splitting away from the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) after the opposition combine failed to carry forward the optimism it had displayed in the Lok Sabha results.

Raut dispels rumours of Sena (UBT) split from MVA

While on Wednesday, leader of the opposition in legislative council, Ambadas Danve, revealed that a section of Sena (UBT) leaders had requested the party chief Uddhav Thackeray to go solo following an internal meeting, a day after, MP and party’s chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut clarified that the party will remain a part of MVA.

“While a section of leaders and party workers felt we should breakaway from MVA, after the assembly elections, in politics decisions are not taken hastily. We will continue to be part of MVA,” said Raut. “All three parties in the alliance are trying to review the reasons for the defeat in assembly polls; many candidates have pointed at the EVMs as reason behind the outcome.”

Raut emphasised MVA’s need of the hour is to strengthen 288 constituencies in the next five years. “In the coming months, we will have to face the local body elections, including the civic body in Mumbai. The party will chalk out a plan after internal discussions will alliance partners Congress and NCP (SP).”

Danve on the other hand, blamed Congress’s “over confidence” as one of the reasons of MVA’s recent drubbing. He underscored that “if MVA had declared the name of Uddhav Thackeray as face of CM, the picture would have been different”.

Sena (UBT) to go solo for civic polls?

On the plan for local body elections, slated to take place next year, Danve said: “I am of the opinion that the party should take a call on going solo in local body elections, after gauging the political situation in each city and district. As far as the state is concerned, we have an example of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha which achieved the desired success on its own. We can do the same in five years.”

This occurred in 2017, when parties in the then alliance government – BJP and undivided Shiv Sena -- contested local body elections separately. At the time, BJP faced Shiv Sena in the BMC elections.