Uddhav Thackeray on MVA's CM face: 'Let Mahayuti announce their chief minister face first...'

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday dodged the question about who will be the MVA's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming assembly polls in Maharashtra. He said the Maha Vikas Agadhi (MVA) will announce its chief ministerial face only after the ruling Mahayuti does the same. 

"Let Mahayuti announce their CM face first then we will let you all know who is our CM face. Being in govt, Mahayuti should announce their chief minister face first," Thackeray said during a press briefing in Mumbai. 

NCP-SCP chief Sharad Pawar, who was also present, said, "Whatever Uddhav Thackeray said about the CM's face was quite clear and that is it." He slammed the ruling government over the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme. He said there is no clarity of budgeting and financial provision for the scheme. "If they can make clear and separate provisions for financial support for this scheme we won't oppose it."

The MVA, which comprises Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, and Sharad Pawar's NCP, is likely to go to polls with declaring its chief ministerial face as no consensus has been reached yet. While Shiv Sena (UBT) pushed Uddhav Thackeray's name for the top job, the Congress and Sharad Pawar's NCP opposed the move. 

Congress leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan recently said that it was a tradition that the party with the most MLAs would get the top chair. He also said that normally, an Opposition party going into elections does not name a Chief Minister's face. Speaking at India Today Conclave Mumbai, Chavan said the Chief Ministerial face of the MVA would be decided based on the number of seats won by the parties in the assembly polls.

Last month, Sharad Pawar said there was no need for the MVA to announce a chief ministerial candidate ahead of the election and the coalition would contest under a collective leadership. "There is no hurdle anywhere by not announcing the CM's face. No need to think about it now. Who should lead should be decided according to the numbers. There is no need to make any arrangements before elections," Pawar said.

Pawar also said the Chief Minister of the alliance would be based on which party wins the most seats in the elections - an idea that had previously not gone down well with the Shiv Sena (UBT).

However, Uddhav Thackeray recently declared he will support any chief ministerial candidate announced by Congress or NCP (SP) to "save" Maharashtra. He made the remarks on the day when the Congress suffered a humiliating defeat in Haryana.