Mumbai: The rift over the Chief Minister's post within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) persists. A fresh controversy has surfaced within the opposition alliance, with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut criticising alliance partner Congress for its recent comments regarding the coveted post.
Raut reminded Congress that their improved seat count in the Lok Sabha elections was largely due to Shiv Sena (UBT)'s support. “Congress should not stake a claim to the Chief Minister's post,” Raut asserted.
On Thursday, during a review meeting of the Konkan region held in the presence of state in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat expressed confidence that the MVA would win the assembly election and that the Chief Minister would be from the Congress party.
While speaking to the media, Raut said, “It was easy during the Lok Sabha election to share the seats, but now there are 288 assembly seats and we have to adjust other small alliance parties in the process. There is no elder brother or younger brother in MVA. Congress indeed received two or three more seats in the Lok Sabha. If someone in MVA thinks he is the elder brother, he should study why they won those three extra seats in the Lok Sabha elections. We had given them Kolhapur, Ramtek and Amravati seats in the Lok Sabha election to them where Shiv Sena could have easily won.”
Balasaheb Thorat while reacting to Raut said, “I would say, because we had helped each other during the Lok Sabha election, our seats have increased.”
“We never said that we are the elder brother. We will contest the elections as Maha Vikas Aghadi. The Congress high command will decide after the elections who will be made the Chief Minister," remarked Nana Patole, State President of Maharashtra Congress.
Last month, Uddhav Thackeray had twice openly asked the Congress and NCP(SP) leaders to declare the name of the CM candidate and tendered his unconditional support to that candidate. Thereafter, Congress leaders had said that the selection of a CM candidate will be discussed later and their first aim is to win the assembly election and keep the BJP from forming the government. Sharad Pawar had also said no one in his party is keen to become CM.
