Raj wants to join hands with Congress: Sanjay Raut, MNS dismisses remark

Asked if Raj Thackeray is ready to be part of the MVA, Raut told reporters, “Even Raj Thackeray desires that the Congress, which is a constituent of the MVA, should be taken along. This is his stand.”

“But this does not mean any decision has been taken on this,” he said.

Raj Thackeray has already spoken to Congress leader K C Venugopal and plans to meet senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, while Uddhav Thackeray will meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said the Rajya Sabha MP.

“Everyone has a place in state politics. The way Shiv Sena (UBT) has, the MNS also has a place, and so does Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and the Left parties,” Raut said.

“For instance, our stand is that Congress should be part of the all-party delegation. Even Raj Thackeray is of the same opinion,” he said.
Raut was referring to a delegation of Opposition parties comprising Raj, Uddhav and Pawar that will meet the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra on Tuesday.

MNS leader Deshpande, however, said that the opposition delegation meeting the Electoral Officer had no connection with the MVA.

Some Congress leaders in Maharashtra are against joining hands with the MNS, especially ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.

The two Thackeray cousins, once estranged, have met several times in recent months and appear to have reconciled after losses in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls. The Thackeray cousins have met at least six times in the last few months.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS have not yet announced an alliance for the civic polls, though their leaders have confirmed that it is on the cards.

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