The Free Press Journal

'Have to start seat-sharing talks with Cong from zero'

Sena (UBT) is particular­ly keen on defeating MPs like Rahul Shewale 'who ditched the party'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday reiterated that his party would contest in 23 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituen­cies in Maharashtr­a next year and said their talks with the Congress on seatsharin­g has to start from zero as it has “not won any seat” in the state.

The party's candidates in 12 of the seats, who won the 2019 LS polls, have defected to the Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde). Raut said that even though these MPs have deserted his party, the voters who elected them in the last polls are still loyal to the organisati­on.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) is particular­ly keen on defeating MPs like Rahul Shewale 'who ditched the party'. It is learnt that a strong candidate has already been identified by the SS (UBT) to trounce Shewale.

The party is insisting on fielding candidates in the following seats: Ramtek, Buldhana, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Parbhani, Jalna, Chhatrapat­i Sambhaji Nagar, Nashik, Palghar, Kalyan, Thane, Mumbai North West, Mumbai South, Mumbai North East, Mumbai South Central, Raigad, RatnagiriS­indhudurg, Maval, Shirdi, Dharashiv, Kolhapur, Hathkangal­e and Akola.

Meanwhile, the BJP is likely to repeat Gopal Shetty and Manoj Kotak in Mumbai north west and north east. Both of them have an excellent track record and have the winnabilit­y factor in their favour. The BJP is also keen on repeating Poonam Mahajan, who has a huge following of over two million on the social media, from Mumbai north central. She is the daughter of the late BJP veteran Pramod Mahajan with excellent oratorial skills.

According to political observers, initially all parties in an alliance are known to pitch their demand very high and later they climbed down. In south Mumbai, the Shiv Sena (UBT) is likely to field its sitting MP Arvind Sawant, who is a trade union leader. The Congress is likely to field Milind Deora, who had represente­d the constituen­cy earlier and has maintained good equations with the voters.

Meanwhile, the Congress has expressed its objection to this “tall claim” of Raut. But the latter stated in so many words that he did not care much about Maharashtr­a Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole and local leaders of the party. He said the final decision was not in the hands of the state-level leaders of the Congress, but it rested with the party high command, which included Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarju­n Kharge and KC Venugopal. He also reminded the Congress that since it did not win a single seat, it has to “start from zero”.