'Want to forfeit PM's post for one seat', Sanjay Raut asks Congress after seats row

Mumbai, March 28 Taking a dig at the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut asked the ally on Thursday whether it wants to ‘forfeit’ the Prime Minister’s post for the sake of one seat – after a battle royale erupted between the two parties on Wednesday.

The Congress leaders have expressed their strong disapproval at the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s unilateral announcement of 17 candidates before the seat-sharing discussions were completed, particularly in the Sangli constituency and certain seats in Mumbai.

When questioned about this, Raut called upon Congress not to create a ruckus over the Sangli seat in which the SS (UBT) has named wrestling champ Chandrahar Patil as its candidate.

Raut said the Congress is a huge party and the SS (UBT) has allied with it for the past nearly five years, and all the Opposition parties have united to contest against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and make the Congress candidate the next Prime Minister.

“The Congress has to lead the country after the elections, not us… Are they going to miss the opportunity of getting the PM’s post over a single (Sangli) seat,” asked Raut.

Going further, Raut said the Congress had gone ahead and announced its nominees in Ramtek (SC), Kolhapur, and Amravati (SC) seats, which were held by the undivided Shiv Sena and on which the SS (UBT) had staked its claim.

“We did not raise any objections to that... we also gave up Mumbai North and let them take Ramtek (SC), but we want to contest Sangli in exchange for the Kolhapur constituency. In alliance politics, such give-and-take occurs and there should be no problems about it,” declared Raut.

Responding to the Congress’ claims that Sangli has been its traditional bastion where it has a strong base, Raut said even the SS (UBT) has a cadre base there, as also in several other seats it is contesting.

The SS (UBT)’s decision to declare 17 candidates on Wednesday evoked sharp reactions from the top Congress leaders like Nana Patole, Vijay Wadettiwari, Balasaheb Thorat, Sanjay Nirupam, Vishwajeet Kadam, and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Jitendra Awhad, among others.

In fact, Kadam has threatened that if the SS (UBT) fails to concede Sangli, the Congress workers will not campaign for Chandrahar Patil, to which Raut expressed his disapproval, and hinted at grim consequences for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance on poll eve.

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