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NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole address the media. (Image: PTI/File)
NCP(SP) supremo Sharad Pawar said there is no immediate need announce the name of a candidate for the Maha Vikas Aghadi and said they can always put their heads together and decide this at a later stage
NCP(SP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Wednesday (September 4) ruled out naming the chief ministerial face going into the Maharashtra assembly elections. He said there is no immediate need announce the name of a candidate for the Maha Vikas Aghadi and said they can always put their heads together and decide this at a later stage.
“Who was face during the Emergency? After the election, Morarji Desai’s name came forward. There is no need to announce the name for the chief minister’s position right now. After the election, we will sit together and decide on the candidate,” he said.
Earlier, Pawar said the Maha Vikas Aghadi has already completed its first round of seat-sharing talks. About the chief minister, he further said the candidate will be decided on the basis of the party that wins the most number of seats in the alliance. This has apparently not gone down well with the Shiv Sena (UBT), which is pitching Uddhav Thackeray as the CM face. In fact, Thackeray recently met the top leadership of the Congress in Delhi, including national president Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, KC Venugopal among others.
During his visit to Delhi, Thackeray reportedly urged the Congress leadership to conduct a joint survey before seat distribution so that there are no conflicts within the alliance. He also expressed his dissatisfaction with the formula of giving the CM post to the party with the maximum seats. He said this system should be done away with as it could lead to more conflict, seeing as parties then start demanding the most number of seats to increase their chances of winning.
Pawar said the MVA will sit together in the next two to three days and a decision will be made regarding seat sharing within the alliance. “Some Left-wing parties are strong. We will start by considering those who have cooperated with us,” he said, adding he is not aware if there is a possibility of a “third front” in the state.
The assembly elections in Maharashtra are likely to be held after Diwali.
