Mumbai: In a public display of tension within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, Congress State President Nana Patole criticised ally Shiv Sena UBT’s MP Sanjay Raut at a press conference on Friday in Mumbai.
According to reports, during an earlier internal meeting, Raut had questioned the Congress State’s leadership’s ability to negotiate seat-sharing for the upcoming elections, particularly in Vidarbha, and insisted on talking to the party leadership in Delhi.
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In response to a question about Raut’s comments, Patole did not hold back: “If Sanjay Raut is disregarding his party leadership — Uddhav Thackeray — that’s his issue.”
Shiv Sena UBT leader Anil Desai and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad, who were also present at the press conference, attempted to calm Patole and steer the discussion back to the MVA’s larger goals. Desai tried to downplay the spat, insisting there was no significant disagreement within the alliance.
Reports said the alliance’s seat-sharing arrangement has been almost finalised at 119-86-75 for the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), respectively.
The MVA had convened the press conference at the Shiv Sena’s Shivalaya Public Relations Office following their meeting with Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Chokalingam. The leaders reportedly discussed the need to ensure transparency and fairness in the election process.
The public disagreement, however, laid bare the growing tension within the MVA, which has already been struggling to finalise its seat-sharing formula. The discord, particularly between the Congress and Sena UBT, has been simmering for weeks. As the discussions continue, Vidarbha remains a contentious point, with the Congress pushing for more seats in the region.
The clash has highlighted the fragile nature of the MVA’s coalition as they prepare for the state elections. While leaders continue to publicly affirm their commitment to the alliance, internal power struggles and disagreements over seat-sharing could undermine the unity they aim to project ahead of the crucial elections.
In a sign of differences between the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena and the Congress just a month before the elections, the regional party has said it will not hold seat-sharing discussions with State Congress President Nana Patole.
Speaking on Friday, the senior Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said the allies had agreed on only 200 seats and took a dig at Nana Patole without naming him, saying leaders in the Maharashtra Congress leaders are “not capable of taking decisions”.
