Will fight 2024 assembly elections with NCP: Shiv Sena

“In the future, if the two leading parties of Maharashtra, NCP and Sena, come together to contest the elections, then it can lead to miracles in the state… Both the parties will think about it (pre-poll alliance) in future,” the editorial Saamana said.

The Shiv Sena on Thursday said the party will contest the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) “in the interest of the state”, days after Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole announced that his party will go solo in the polls.

“Statements to this effect have been made by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar,” an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana read. (HT FILE)

“It is good that the BJP and Congress are preparing towards that (going solo). That leaves two parties, Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, in the state. If everybody else is going solo, then these two prominent parties will have to come together in the interest of the state.

“Statements to this effect have been made by Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar,” an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana read.

Earlier this week, Patole had said that his party would fight all the forthcoming elections alone and added that the Congress would be the single-largest party in the 2024 assembly polls. Subsequently, senior BJP leader Raosaheb Danve, in a statement, said that his party would also contest the next elections on its own.

“In the future, if the two leading parties of Maharashtra, NCP and Sena, come together to contest the elections, then it can lead to miracles in the state… Both the parties will think about it (pre-poll alliance) in future,” the editorial said.

In an apparent jibe at Patole for his statement, the editorial said the party needed to reach the majority mark of 145 to form the government in the 288-member assembly.

The Congress looked to downplay the editorial, with senior leader and Maharashtra minister Balasaheb Thorat stating: “Every party intends to come to power on their strength. Therefore, there is nothing wrong in it. Our stand is that keeping the BJP away from power is in the national interest. Therefore, we will take appropriate decisions at the right time,”