Mumbai: Amid growing tensions within the INDIA alliance, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut announced on Saturday that his party will contest the upcoming municipal elections in Mumbai and Nagpur independently.
Raut confirmed the decision, stating that he had discussed it with Nagpur party chief Pramod Manmode. “We will fight the Mumbai and Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections on our own, whatever happens, happens. We have to focus on strengthening our party,” Raut said in a statement to the media.
The senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader explained that the move is aimed at bolstering the party at the grassroots level, as party workers rarely get opportunities to contest in general or assembly elections. “In the alliance, our workers don’t get the chance to contest in Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly elections, which is affecting the growth of the party. We need to fight elections for Municipal Corporations, Zilla Parishads, and Nagar Panchayats independently to strengthen our base,” Raut added.
This announcement follows Raut’s earlier remarks urging the Congress party to take responsibility for saving the INDIA alliance, which was formed to contest the 2024 general elections. Raut expressed disappointment over the lack of meetings of the INDIA alliance since the elections, stressing that it was the Congress’s responsibility to call a meeting.
“The INDIA alliance was formed for the Lok Sabha elections, but since then, no meetings have been held. The Congress party must convene one,” he said.
The alliance is facing challenges as Congress and AAP in Delhi are at odds ahead of the assembly elections scheduled for February 5. Earlier, Communist Party of India (CPI) General Secretary D Raja admitted that the INDIA alliance “stands divided” following the Lok Sabha elections and emphasized the left parties’ goal of uniting secular and democratic forces to put up a strong challenge against the BJP.
