MUMBAI: Gripped by a fear of loss in its seat-share talks with Congress a day after letting it be known that it was nursing extreme ideas about its MVA association in Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena appeared to move back from the brink. Then, on Monday, it turned to BJP to reinforce its MVA cover with Sanjay Raut going some length to dismiss his reported meeting with Union minister Amit Shah.
Raut said joining hands with BJP meant joining the ranks of Aurangzeb and Afzal Khan (medieval Mughal royalties). Before it came to that, speculation swirled around that Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) would part ways over seat-sharing differences and that Raut-Shah “meeting” was meant to explore various options.
“The BJP not only toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government but also broke the party founded by late Balasaheb Thackeray, snatching the party’s symbol. How could rumour-mongers even imagine us going with the BJP,” asked Raut.
He said BJP cheated Uddhav and gave the state to the “traitors.” “We fought very hard with BJP and its tyranny. How can such people ever forget the pain that they inflicted on our leader? I was sent to jail for no charges. We’re not the ones who can betray,” said Raut. “Shiv Sena (UBT) is the party of self-respecting people. If we want to do something, we’ll do it openly,” said Raut.
He said people were deliberately spreading rumors to defame our party and widen the gap among MVA alliance partners. “The news is given on contract – it’s supari news… planted news. We will never compromise the self-respect of Maharashtra,” Raut said.
He said MVA partners have resolved seat-sharing in over 210 constituencies and that the remaining ones would be sorted out soon. MPCC chief Nana Patole said the party has prepared a list of its 96 seats where candidates will be declared soon. “The BJP is trying to create confusion in the MVA but they will not allow this to happen. The BJP is afraid of losing elections. That’s why they are spreading the rumors,” Patole said.
What’s at stake
Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders say they have unanimity on 210 seats and that the rest 78 will be sorted out soon. However, these are the seats where Congress has so far refused to compromise