MUMBAI: Tensions seem to be brewing within the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance as the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena has decided to "boycott" the seat sharing talks if Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole is part of the discussions.
The UBT anger against Patole comes after the latter stymied any attempts by the former to seek more seats in the Congress stronghold Vidarbha region.
The UBT has conveyed its decision to NCP-SP and the Congress leadership in Delhi. The MVA was supposed to meet today to finalise the seat sharing discussions but the UBT has said that it would skip it if Patole is present in the meeting. Consequently, the meeting did not take place. "There is less time for elections. He (Patole) is a leader from Maharashtra and he is not equipped to take decisions. He has to send the list (of seats again and again to Delhi... We want the discussions to happen as soon as possible," said Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP of the UBT faction. Thackeray tried to play it cool but sent a warning to the Congress when asked about the issue. "I have no idea about it but this is logical (when) three parties come together there are some pulls and pressures, all parties should remember that it should not be (pulled) till it breaks apart," said Thackeray. The present crisis stems from the fact that the UBT is seeking winning seats of the Congress from the Vidarbha region. The Congress is willing to give up around four seats but the UBT wants nine. Raut admitted that talks were stuck on the issue of seats in Vidarbha.
"I have spoken to Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal and will likely speak to Rahul Gandhi also. The train is stuck and we want the breaks to be removed," he added.
Responding to Raut' comments, Patole said t there is nothing wrong in him giving details of the seat sharing discussions to the Congress leadership. "Raut gives information (seat sharing) to Uddhav Thackeray. Similarly, NCP-SP leaders give details to Sharad Pawar, so we too have given the information to our party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi," he said.
The UBT anger against Patole comes after the latter stymied any attempts by the former to seek more seats in the Congress stronghold Vidarbha region.
The UBT has conveyed its decision to NCP-SP and the Congress leadership in Delhi. The MVA was supposed to meet today to finalise the seat sharing discussions but the UBT has said that it would skip it if Patole is present in the meeting. Consequently, the meeting did not take place. "There is less time for elections. He (Patole) is a leader from Maharashtra and he is not equipped to take decisions. He has to send the list (of seats again and again to Delhi... We want the discussions to happen as soon as possible," said Sanjay Raut, Rajya Sabha MP of the UBT faction. Thackeray tried to play it cool but sent a warning to the Congress when asked about the issue. "I have no idea about it but this is logical (when) three parties come together there are some pulls and pressures, all parties should remember that it should not be (pulled) till it breaks apart," said Thackeray. The present crisis stems from the fact that the UBT is seeking winning seats of the Congress from the Vidarbha region. The Congress is willing to give up around four seats but the UBT wants nine. Raut admitted that talks were stuck on the issue of seats in Vidarbha.
"I have spoken to Ramesh Chennithala and KC Venugopal and will likely speak to Rahul Gandhi also. The train is stuck and we want the breaks to be removed," he added.
Responding to Raut' comments, Patole said t there is nothing wrong in him giving details of the seat sharing discussions to the Congress leadership. "Raut gives information (seat sharing) to Uddhav Thackeray. Similarly, NCP-SP leaders give details to Sharad Pawar, so we too have given the information to our party president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi," he said.
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