Sanjay Raut's 'incapable' charge at Maharashtra Congress, Uddhav's 'breaking point' caution over MVA seat-sharing
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said he plans to discuss seat-sharing arrangements with Rahul Gandhi for the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.
Amid the stalemate over seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, a war of words has erupted between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Congress, two key partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. With the November 20 polls approaching, the deadlock over allocating constituencies is adding pressure on the opposition coalition, which also includes the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray sought to downplay the discord while cautioning that disagreements should not escalate to a breaking point.
Thackeray assured that negotiations were in their final stages and expressed confidence that a seat-sharing agreement would be reached within the next two to three days.
“Haggling among allies must not be allowed to reach a breaking point,” Thackeray said.
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He remained optimistic that a deal could be sealed by Saturday.
“The political scenario in Maharashtra has changed, and the people have decided to bring the MVA to power,” he added, projecting a united front despite ongoing tensions.
Sanjay Raut, Nana Patole trade barbs
However, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut took a more confrontational stance, targeting Congress leaders for the delays. Raut accused the Maharashtra Congress of inefficiency, saying that state leaders were unable to make decisions on their own and had to rely on the party’s central leadership in Delhi.
“The pending decision should be expedited. Very little time is left,” Raut said. “Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of making decisions. They have to send the list to Delhi (central leadership) frequently, and then discussions happen. The decision (on seat allocation) needs to happen at the earliest.”
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Raut said he had spoken with Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik, as well as the party's Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, to push for a resolution. He also stated his intention to discuss the matter with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
"Will (Sena-UBT leader) Sanjay Raut and (NCP SP's Maharashtra chief) Jayant Patil take any final decision without consulting (their party chiefs) Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar, respectively?" Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole shot back, seeking to deflect criticism on delay in clinching a pre-poll pact.
Patole admitted that negotiations had stalled over around 25 to 30 seats but maintained that the final decision rested with the party’s high command.
“There are roughly 48 seats in the Shiv Sena (UBT) list, and we [Congress] have given up our claim on 18 of them,” Patole said. “We have informed our party high command about the remaining 25 to 30 seats in dispute. We will abide by whatever decision our leadership takes.”
The ruling Mahayuti alliance — comprised of the BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar’s NCP — has also yet to finalize its seat-sharing formula, suggesting that both alliances are engaged in tough negotiations ahead of the high-stakes polls.
The Maharashtra assembly elections will be held in a single phase on November 20.
In the 2019 assembly elections, the Congress and NCP contested together against the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. However, after the elections, Shiv Sena broke ties with the BJP to form a government with the Congress and NCP under the MVA banner. That alliance later collapsed after Eknath Shinde’s rebellion, which led to a split in the Shiv Sena, followed by Ajit Pawar's defection from the NCP.
In this election, the MVA seeks to reclaim power against the Mahayuti, in what is expected to be a closely fought contest.
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