MUMBAI, In a prelude to the formal seat-sharing discussions within the INDIA bloc, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut insists that talks with the Congress must commence from scratch, considering the Congress secured no seats in Maharashtra.
Raut affirmed that Shiv Sena (UBT) plans to contest in 23 out of the 48 constituencies in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha election. He emphasized that discussions about the seats won by Shiv Sena, Congress, and NCP will follow at a later stage.
“Shiv Sena has always fought for 23 seats, and that remains unchanged,” Raut asserted.
In response, Congress leader Milind Deora underscored that the Congress, as the leading Opposition in Maharashtra, cannot be excluded from alliance talks without consulting local leadership.
“No alliance can proceed without consultation with the local leadership of Maharashtra,”* Deora emphasized.
In the 2019 general elections, the undivided Shiv Sena contested 23 seats, winning 18. The split last year allowed the Shinde faction to retain the name ‘Shiv Sena’. The NCP won four seats, while Congress secured only one.
Prior to Shiv Sena’s stance, Mamata Banerjee expressed her intent for the TMC to contest alone in Bengal. However, she affirmed the INDIA alliance’s presence across the country.
Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav anticipates the defeat of the BJP-led NDA by the “PDA” – “Pichde (backward classes), Dalit, and Alpasankhyak (minorities)” in the upcoming general elections.
The Congress asserts an ‘open mind’ approach in discussions with all parties within the INDIA bloc, set to commence formal talks in early January.
