Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut emphasised the necessity for the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to project a chief ministerial candidate in Maharashtra ahead of the state assembly elections, following a meeting between party president Uddhav Thackeray and senior Congress leaders.
To date, the MVA, which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar), has not officially announced a CM candidate for the upcoming October polls.
When questioned about whether he was advocating for Thackeray's candidacy, Raut refrained from a direct answer but highlighted the prominent roles of Thackeray and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in opposing the BJP-led central government. "Thackeray and Rahul Gandhi have been consistently vocal against the Centre's policies," Raut said in New Delhi.
Raut argued that having a clear candidate is crucial for the opposition. "There has to be a face for the state polls," he stated. "Had Rahul Gandhi been the face of the opposition in the Lok Sabha elections, we might have defeated the BJP-led NDA. It was only after Rahul Gandhi assumed the Leader of the Opposition position that the country saw renewed confidence. Thus, a prominent figure is needed both for the opposition and for the ruling party."
Asked whether he was suggesting Thackeray as the MVA's chief ministerial candidate, Raut replied, "Only Rahul Gandhi and Uddhav Thackeray were the faces of the opposition in the Lok Sabha elections."
Thackeray has recently hinted at his willingness to be considered for the CM role. During his visit to New Delhi earlier this week, Thackeray met with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chief Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, and other representatives of the INDIA bloc.
Before his meetings with Congress leaders, Thackeray told reporters, "If my colleagues in the MVA feel that I have done excellent work, then they should ask whether they want me as the chief minister. Ultimately, it will be the people who decide."
Thackeray served as Maharashtra's chief minister from November 2019 to June 2022, leading the MVA government until it collapsed following a revolt by a faction of his party MLAs, led by the current Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
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