Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar to share dais with Rahul Gandhi at Congress rally in Mumbai

Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray. File pic

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders including Shiv Sena (UBT) Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar will share the stage with Lok Sabha opposition leader and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Mumbai to mark the birth anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi on August 20 ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, reported the PTI.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and AICC in-charge for Maharashtra, Ramesh Chennithala, will also attend the rally to be organised at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), the party stated on Saturday.

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The Congress has planned several programmes in Mumbai, the birthplace of Rajiv Gandhi, to mark his birth anniversary.

MVA constituents- the Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT)- had declared to contest the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections together. Deliberations for the sharing of seats are yet to gather momentum, according to the PTI.

A meeting of MVA allies was held on August 16 in which Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray demanded the alliance declare its Chief Ministerial face in advance without waiting for the scorecard of each constituent in the assembly elections, due in October-November.

The MVA trounced the Mahayuti alliance in Lok Sabha elections by bagging 30 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, with the BJP losing 14 constituencies of the 23 it had won in 2019.

Sanjay Raut defends Uddhav's push for early decision on MVA's CM candidate

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has demonstrated a large heart by offering support to any leader from the Congress and NCP (SP) for the chief minister's post, party MP Sanjay Raut said on Saturday, reported the PTI.

Uddhav Thackeray, a former CM, was acceptable to everyone, he claimed while denying that the Sena (UBT) chief's latest message to his allies was a pressure tactic.
Talking to reporters here, Raut dared the ruling Mahayuti, comprising the rival Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BJP, and the NCP headed by Ajit Pawar, to declare their CM face.

Elsewhere, Milind Deora, MP of the rival Shinde-led Shiv Sena, claimed that the Congress will never support Thackeray for the CM's post.

"Uddhav Thackeray showed a large heart (with his willingness to support any MVA leader for the CM's post). It was not pressure politics. His stand benefits Maharashtra," said Sanjay Raut, a Rajya Sabha member, as per the PTI.

"What is wrong with Uddhav Thackeray's demand? Thackeray is a former chief minister. His face is acceptable to everyone. He didn't speak about himself. If anyone has the courage, they should declare their CM face," Sanjay Raut said, the news agency reported on Saturday.

Thackeray, speaking at a meeting of the Maha Vikas Aghadi on Friday, insisted that the Opposition alliance decide its chief ministerial face first rather than relying on the principle that the chief minister would be from the party which wins the largest number of seats.

He would support any candidate decided by the Congress and NCP (SP), he added.

"First, decide (the CM's face) and then go ahead but do not go by this policy (party with the most seats getting the CM's post). Uddhav Thackeray will back any candidate announced by Congress and NCP (SP) as the CM face of MVA. I don't feel that I am fighting for myself but it is for the rights of Maharashtra," Thackeray said, reported the PTI.

(with PTI inputs)