Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: Sanjay Raut Indirectly Demands To Declare Uddhav Thackeray As CM Face

Maharashtra Assembly election will soon be declared, now all political parties are gearing up for it.   After a strong performance in the Lok Sabha elections (Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024), Mavia has now shifted focus towards the state assembly polls. Mahavikas Aghadi plans to replicate the winning formula used by the INDIA Alliance in the Lok Sabha election within Maharashtra. This strategy proved successful in the national elections, ensuring a strong showing. It is anticipated that a similar approach will be adopted for the state polls. Ahead of election Sanjay Raut indirectly demanded to declare Uddhav Thackeray as a face of CM. 

Mahavikas Aghadi plans to contest the state assembly elections together without announcing a candidate for the chief minister's position beforehand. Even though the decision regarding this will be made after the elections, Sanjay Raut of the Thackeray group has expressed conflicting opinions, stressing the importance of having a prominent chief ministerial candidate during the elections. He believes that participating without a strong candidate is not practical.

In a media interaction, Sanjay Raut criticized both the NDA Government at the Center and the state government concerning the upcoming assembly elections. He suggested that Uddhav Thackeray should be considered as the chief ministerial candidate within Mahavikas Aghadi. Raut firmly asserted that having a clear chief ministerial figure is crucial for the state elections, highlighting Thackeray's leadership while the Mahavikas Aghadi government was in power.

Raut emphasized the importance of presenting a potential chief ministerial candidate for the state elections, stating that a credible candidate is essential. He pointed out Uddhav Thackeray's past governance to support his argument. Following this statement, there has been growing unease within the Congress and Sharad Pawar group in Mahavikas Aghadi, with leaders now suggesting that the chief minister's post will be discussed and decided collectively.

Additionally, an internal division arose after Sanjay Raut's group intensified its efforts, contrasting Raj Thackeray's contributions in their party and advocating for a more focused approach. In the Lok Sabha elections, Congress performed well by winning 13 seats, leading the alliance. NCP under Sharad Pawar also showed a commendable performance, while Shiv Sena, under Uddhav Thackeray's leadership, secured nine seats. The three parties are committed to maintaining their alliance's dominance in both the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assembly.

During this period, Congress leaders hinted briefly that the next Chief Minister could be from their party, causing tension within the alliance. However, after directives from Rahul Gandhi to ensure alliance harmony during a meeting in Delhi, Congress leaders have refrained from making such claims, leading to a temporary easing of potential conflicts.