Mumbai: Describing both AAP and Congress as its ‘friends,’ Shiv Sena (UBT) has decided to maintain a neutral stance in the Delhi Assembly Elections scheduled for February 5. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray will not campaign for the Congress or AAP, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said on Tuesday.
“We are not going to campaign in the Delhi polls. We are neutral,” Raut said on being asked whether Shiv Sena (UBT) chief will campaign for either of the two parties in the Delhi elections.
“It was not easy for us to make a decision. We have repeatedly said that Congress is the big party in the country, but AAP is the bigger party in Delhi. AAP’s strength in Delhi is highest,” said Raut.
All three parties — Shiv Sena (UBT), AAP and Congress — are the part of opposition INDIA bloc at the national stage. However, in the Delhi Assembly elections, the ruling AAP led by Arvind Kejriwal and Congress are contesting against each other.
From the INDIA bloc, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC) have lent their support to the AAP in the Delhi polls.
In Maharashtra, the ruling Mahayuti comprises the BJP, the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP. While the Shinde Sena has thrown its backing behind the BJP in the Delhi polls, Ajit Pawar’s NCP has fielded candidates against the BJP, AAP and Congress on several seats.
The NCP (SP) has not yet opened its cards for the Delhi polls, though the party supremo Sharad Pawar had hinted at supporting AAP a few days back.
The Delhi Assembly elections are expected to witness a triangular contest between the AAP, BJP, and Congress. Arvind Kejriwal is aiming for a third consecutive term, after leading the Aam Aadmi Party to a landslide victory in 2020, securing 62 out of 70 seats.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi of Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (SP) and Congress, which is part of the INDIA bloc at the national level, has also become a disjointed alliance in Maharashtra after its debacle in the state assembly polls. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party, which blamed the attitude of state Congress leaders for its shock defeat in the Assembly polls, has already announced its plan to go solo in the Mumbai municipal corporation election, while at other places, the party will take a decision on alliance based on its strength at the ground level. After the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s announcement, the Congress party has also started its preparations to face the local body polls on its own.
