Mumbai: “Our priority and first duty is to save the Maharashtra state from the current phase of deterioration and this is the Congress' stand. We do not want a fight over the Chief Minister's post, for one chair”, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Nana Patole, told the Free Press Journal on Saturday. He was participating in the FPJ Dialogue.
Which Political Party Is Keen On Declaring CM Candidate For Upcoming State Assembly Elections
It has thus become clear that only the Shiv Sena UBT is keen on declaring the Chief Minister candidate for the upcoming assembly elections and neither the Congress nor the NCP SCP is keen. NCP SCP chief Sharad Pawar has already made it clear that no one from his party was interested in the CM's post. Now, the state Congress unit has further distanced itself from the contentious issue.
The Congress and NCP's gains significance in view of the aggressive posture adopted by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally Shiv Sena UBT on the issue of the CM candidate. During his recent Delhi tour, Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray reportedly discussed this issue during his meetings with Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and the leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi. When no direct response came in, Thackeray brought up the question again while speaking at the MVA meeting held on August 16 at the Shanmukhananda Hall.
“Announce CM candidate and I will support him”, said the Sena chief expressing disagreement over the formula that whoever won the maximum seats would get to have its chief ministerial pick.
Demand Made By Shiv Sena UBT Leader Sanjay Raut
Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut too has demanded that Thackeray's name be announced as the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Raut declared that Thackeray was qualified for the post on the basis of the laurels he earned the way he led the state during the critical phase of COVID-19. But, despite the strong pitch made by the Sena, its allies have not yielded to the demand.
Asked if the Shiv Sena UBT would remain a partner if the Congress were to win the maximum number of seats, Patole said who wants to stay with whom depends on the respective party.
"Did Ekanth Shinde or Ajit Pawar remain with their respective parties? But whenever it will be noted in history, it will certainly be noted that Congress was fighting for the cause of saving the state," said the MPCC chief.
