Raj Thackeray wants to contest on his own: Maha Dy CM Ajit Pawar

Nasik: Clearing the air surrounding the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Chief Raj Thackeray joining Mahayuti for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra, state Deputy Chief Minister and NCP Chief Ajit Pawar said that he would be fighting alone the state assembly polls but was in support of PM Modi during Lok Sabha elections.

When questioned about Thackeray joining the Mahayuti, Pawar questioned, "Who said that? He said that he will contest on 200-225 seats. So, what does that mean? He wants to contest on his own. He only said that he supported PM Modi during Lok Sabha elections."

On the matter of seat-sharing for the assembly elections, Pawar said that CM Eknath Sinde, both the Deputy Chief Ministers and a few other members held discussions on the matter on Thursday, August 8.

He further stated that other allies of their Mahayuti were not present in the meeting and it would be not right to issue a statement without any discussion with them.

"It will be done. We had discussions yesterday. CM, both Deputy CMs and others sat down together and discussed. But the other allies of our Mahayuti were not there yesterday. So, issuing a statement without any discussion with them didn't feel right. So, we will call them too and discuss with them and announce our decision," he said.

Earlier today, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that the seat-sharing talks within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance have been completed.

He said, "The seat-sharing talks have been completed... There is no difference of opinion between the parties over seat sharing."

"We have to remove the unconstitutional, illegal Maharashtra government from power in a democratic manner," he added.

Earlier on Wednesday, August 7, former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief, Uddhav Thackeray, met Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi.

Uddhav was accompanied by his son, Aditya Thackeray, and the duo met Congress top brass in New Delhi.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and Congress MP KC Venugopal were also present at the meeting.

On August 3, Sharad Pawar met Maharashtra CM Shinde at Varsha Bungalow and discussed the issues of the Maratha reservation, amongst others.

Maha Vikas Aghadi parties are bracing for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra. Congress also held a meeting of its state leaders on August 4.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena Deputy Leader and Spokesperson Sanjay Nirupam on Tuesday criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) Chief, Uddhav Thackeray, claiming that he is bowing to the Congress High Command in Delhi purely out of a desire for power.

Speaking at a press conference held at Balasaheb Bhavan, he said, "Uddhav Thackeray's current visit to Delhi exemplifies his helplessness."

He mentioned that despite the improbability of their government forming, leaders such as Nana Patole, Balasaheb Thorat, Jitendra Awhad, Anil Deshmukh, and Aaditya Thackeray are all vying for the top spot.

"Uddhav Thackeray's visit to Delhi is an attempt to position himself as the chief contender for the Chief Ministership within the MVA," he said.

The state is likely to go to poll for the 288-member legislative assembly later this year, as the tenure of the current government ends in 2024.

However, the Election Commission has yet to announce the dates. The BJP dipped to nine seats in Maharashtra against 23 in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The vote share stood at 26.18 per cent. The Congress, on the other hand, marginally improved its seat share by securing 13 seats in the state. The Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won seven and one seats, respectively, taking the total tally of the NDA to 17. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) got nine seats, while the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) won eight seats. (ANI)