Sanjay Raut expresses disappointment over MVA seat-sharing talks, says state Congress leaders can't make decisions

Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday expressed disappointment over the delay in the seat-sharing talks among MVA partners and claimed that Maharashtra Congress leaders are "not capable of making decisions", reported news agency PTI.

Talking to reporters about MVA seat-sharing talks, Sanjay Raut said Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners, Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), have reached a consensus on 200 of the 288 assembly seats.

The Rajya Sabha member said he spoke to Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik and the party's Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Friday morning over seat-sharing. The Sena (UBT) leader said he would also speak to top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi later in the day, reported PTI.

"The pending decision should be expedited. Very little time is left. Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of making decisions. They have to send the list to Delhi frequently and then discussions happen. The decision will have to be taken at the earliest," Raut said on the MVA seat-sharing talks, reported PTI.

Adding further, he said, "There is no major difference of opinion between NCP and Shiv Sena, not even in Congress but there are some seats on which all three parties claim. Nana Patole is our ally in Maharashtra, but there is a problem on some seats, it will be resolved," reported ANI.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also attacked the BJP, stating, "People like me have gone to jail and come back, we know who the targets are and what the BJP will do."

Raut likened the BJP's tactics to those of the "Bishnoi gang," claiming they use agencies like the CBI and ED as weapons against their opponents, reported ANI.

Raut emphasised that despite facing such challenges, they remain resolute in standing up to the BJP. The UBT Sena MP also took a dig at the Election Commission claiming that they were biased.

"The Election Commission has given some important decisions, and we feel that those decisions are against the interests of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, and will help Shinde and the BJP. The Election Commission and the Supreme Court are not neutral. They are the B, C and D teams of the BJP," he said, reported ANI.

Late on Thursday evening, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole said that a list of 20-25 assembly constituencies where MVA partners have overlapping claims will be sent to the high commands of each party to resolve the stalemate.

Patole told reporters that the MVA leaders involved in seat-sharing talks had a final meeting on Thursday. He said attempts were being made to declare the seat-sharing arrangement for all 288 constituencies by October 18-19.

In the Lok Sabha elections, the MVA performed impressively winning 30 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra. Assembly polls in the state will be held on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23.

(With inputs from PTI and ANI)