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'Uddhav Thackeray is...': Sanjay Raut names leader on INDIA bloc PM query
Many INDIA bloc parties have questioned the Congress party's right to play the big brother in the anti-BJP alliance after it lost the recent assembly elections.
New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader on Wednesday invoked the name of his party's leader Uddhav Thackeray when a reporter asked him about whether the INDIA bloc should have a prime ministerial face for the 2024 general elections. However, he refrained from directly putting Thackeray's name in the race saying he didn't want to say anything that may trigger an rift among the parties.
Many INDIA bloc parties have questioned the Congress party's right to play the big brother in the anti-BJP alliance after it lost the recent assembly elections in three Hindi-heartland states.
"There will be a discussion on this. There should indeed be a face," Raut said.
He quickly added Thackeray's name to his remark.
"Uddhav Thackeray is a Hindutvawadi, nationalist face. A person who gets the approval of the INDIA alliance members can be the (PM) face. I don't want to say anything outside which might create any rift in the alliance," he added.
Rifts have become apparent in the INDIA alliance as many constituents refused to attend its meeting today, which was called by the Congress party after its election debacle.
Raut today said the meeting had been postponed and could be organized on December 16 and 18.
"The INDIA alliance meeting was supposed to be held today but some prominent leaders were not available. There is a wedding in Mamata Banerjee's house, MK Stalin is busy with the relief operation in his flood-hit state, Nitish Kumar is not well, and Akhilesh Yadav is not available, therefore this meeting will be held on 16th or 18th of December. The face etc. everything will be decided in the meeting. We are together and you will see its result in 2024," he added.
According to reports, seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha polls could be on the agenda of the meeting. There have been three similar meetings of the alliance in 2023.
The Bharatiya Janata Party called the alliance a flop.
Also read: 'Conceit': Congress slammed by INDIA bloc allies after 3-1 election drubbing
Many INDIA allies -- including Mamata Banerjee-led TMC, National Conference, Samajwadi Party, JDU and RJD-- blamed the Congress for its defeat and accused it of ignoring its partners in the run-up to the assembly elections.
Banerjee's Trinamool Congress said it was ready to assume the "leadership" of the 2024 battle against the BJP.
The Congress, however, found nothing amiss in the alliance.
"I don't think there is any problem with the INDIA coalition. The coalition is committed to making it a success, and I am sure that the leaders will find a convenient day to meet and take things forward," says Congress MP Karti Chidambaram.
With inputs from PTI
