'State leaders are not capable of...': Sanjay Raut takes a dig at Congress leaders over seat sharing in Maharashtra assembly election

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut expressed frustration on Saturday, stating that Congress leaders in Maharashtra appeared "incompetent" when it came to making decisions about seat-sharing for the upcoming state Assembly elections. 

Raut, addressing the seat-sharing talks within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, mentioned that he plans to discuss the matter with Congress leaders in Delhi to finalize the arrangement. The Rajya Sabha MP noted that decisions on several key seats are still pending and need to be resolved quickly.

“There is very little time in hand and the decisions on the seat sharing must be expedited. I think the state leaders are not capable of taking any decision on seat sharing and they have to send a list of everything to Delhi. It is important that the discussion should take place with the central leadership of Congress,” Raut said.

State Congress President Nana Patole chose not to directly address Sanjay Raut's comments. In a press conference, Patole remarked, "If Raut isn't listening to Uddhav Thackeray, that's his problem."

The ongoing disagreement between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress centers around seat-sharing for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, particularly in the Vidarbha region. Both parties are laying claim to several seats. Shiv Sena (UBT) is demanding 9 to 10 seats in the region, but Congress leaders like Nana Patole and Vijay Wadettiwar, who are from Vidarbha, oppose this demand.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections will take place on November 20, 2024, with the votes being counted on November 23.

Raut emphasized that Vidarbha is part of Maharashtra, not a separate state. He pointed out that Shiv Sena (UBT) had given important seats like Ramtek and Amravati to Congress during the Lok Sabha elections. Now, he believes it’s fair for his party to ask for more seats in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Raut explained that their workers feel they deserve more seats and there’s nothing wrong with that. He has already informed Uddhav Thackeray about the issue and discussed it with Congress leaders KC Venugopal and Ramesh Chennithala.