Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said that his party was open to discuss if someone outside of the Congress party should lead the Opposition INDIA bloc.
Speaking in New Delhi Delhi, Raut said that all the constituents of the INDIA bloc are willing to have a discussion on the issue.
The Sena UBT chief spokesperson was reacting to Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad’s comment that West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee should be allowed to lead the INDIA bloc.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is at present the chairman of the Opposition grouping, formed before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“Our party’s ties with the Congress leadership including Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were excellent. Congress is a national party and has the highest number of MPs among the INDIA allies. Still, if the INDIA bloc is to be strengthened again, everyone wishes to discuss (issues related to) leadership, who can give time to the alliance….(whether it could be) Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Lalu Prasad, Sharad Pawar or Akhilesh Yadav,” Raut said.
He went on to suggest that, even BJD chief Naveen Patnaik, whose party is not a part of the bloc, can join INDIA.
Notably, the ties between the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray and Congress have come under strain in Maharashtra after the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi’s rout in the recent Maharashtra Assembly elections.