Mumbai: Just a day after announcing that Shiv Sena (UBT) will fight the local body polls separately, party leader Sanjay Raut, in a U-turn, insisted that it does not signal the end of opposition parties’ unity. He denied calling for the dissolution of the opposition INDIA bloc or the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra. However, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party is firm on going solo in the local body elections in Maharashtra.
The Rajya Sabha MP claimed that he never said the INDIA bloc or the MVA alliance has split. “The INDIA bloc was formed for the Lok Sabha polls, whereas the MVA alliance was there for the Vidhan Sabha polls. We have made our stand clear for the local body elections. Even when we were with the BJP, we used to contest local body polls on our own,” said Raut.
Raut’s remarks came a day after he created a stir in Maharashtra politics by announcing that the Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest the local body elections alone to strengthen its base. His statement evoked a sharp reaction from the Congress, who criticized him saying that rather than speaking publicly, it was better to talk about the opposition alliance by sitting together.
The INDIA bloc and MVA alliances include the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP).
However, Raut said it was the demand of Shiv Sena (UBT) party workers to go solo in the local body polls. “The local body elections are meant to empower party workers and strengthen the organization. Congress leaders should listen to my full statement before reacting. We want to ensure its ‘flaming torch’ (poll) symbol reaches voters at the grassroot level.”
We have time as there are four-and-a-half years for the next Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections, the Sena (UBT) leader added.
Another Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve too said MVA is united but the equations of local bodies elections are different.
“The MVA is united. However, the equations for elections to the local governing body are different. The ruling parties are eager to break our alliance. But their wish won’t be fulfilled,” Danve said in Pune.