Not Our Issue If Sanjay Raut Controls Uddhav Thackeray: Maharashtra Congress Chief

Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole on Saturday said that the ongoing discussions surrounding seat-sharing among Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, downplaying any influence Sanjay Raut may have over Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray.

Patole stated, "If Sanjay Raut is controlling Uddhav Thackeray, that's their issue. Our responsibility is to convey the reality of our leaders, and we are focused on that. We do not want to comment on what Sanjay Raut does."

Patole further clarified the leadership structure within the alliance, stating that while Sanjay Raut may act as a leader for Uddhav Thackeray, the Congress and NCP have their own figures of authority. "Our leaders are Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, and the leader of the NCP (SCP) is Sharad Pawar. In the seat-sharing committee, neither Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Mallikarjun Kharge, nor Rahul Gandhi are personally involved, but the committee was formed under their directives," Patole explained.

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, along with Vinayak Raut and Congress election in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, visited Matoshree to meet Uddhav Thackeray. According to Raut, discussions on seat-sharing within the MVA, which includes Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP, are progressing. He also confirmed that Nana Patole would be involved in the process.

"Ramesh Chennithala came to Matoshree, and we had discussions in Uddhav Thackeray's presence. The talks, which had paused for two days, will resume at 3 p.m. today, and we aim to finalize seat-sharing by tonight. The Samajwadi Party is also with us, and Uddhav Thackeray held talks with Akhilesh Yadav yesterday," Raut said.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Chennithala assured the media that Uddhav Thackeray's health, as well as the MVA alliance, is in good condition. "I met Uddhav Thackeray today to check on his health after his recent hospital visit. He's doing well, and so is the Maha Vikas Aghadi," Chennithala said, adding that there are no internal differences within the alliance. "We are united, and the seat-sharing discussions will continue today at 3 p.m."

On Friday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday expressed disappointment over the delay in the seat-sharing talks among MVA partners and claimed that Maharashtra Congress leaders are "not capable of making decisions".

Talking to reporters, Raut said the MVA has reached a consensus on 200 of the 288 assembly seats. The Rajya Sabha member said he spoke to Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik and the party's Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Friday morning over seat-sharing.