Mumbai: After the Shiv Sena (UBT) announced 17 candidates for the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra unilaterally, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Saturday advised his party to not allow the Uddhav Thackeray-led political outfit to arm-twist it.
Sanjay Nirupam said the Congress party’s INDIA ally wasn’t in a position to win even a single seat in Maharashtra without his party’s support.
The remark comes amid tension between the two INDIA bloc allies over seat-sharing for the Lok Sabha elections 2024.
Earlier this week, Shiv Sena (UBT) announced a list of 17 candidates and said it will contest 22 seats in Maharashtra, including four in Mumbai. The announcement wasn’ made in consonance with the Congress.
The two parties are engaged in hard negotiations over seats in the state.
Sanjay Nirupam is eyeing the Mumbai North-West seat from where he lost in 2019.
“The Congress should not come under the threat of Shiv Sena (UBT) as the Uddhav Thackeray-led party is not capable of winning any seat without Congress support,” said Nirupam.
“Shiv Sena (UBT) arm-twisted the Congress to take five of the six seats in Mumbai. But the Congress should not allow itself to be arm-twisted like this. This action is against the Congress and it’s a ploy to finish off the party in the city,” the former Mumbai Congress chief alleged.
Sanjay Nirupam said the Congress should go for “friendly fights” in some seats, as proposed by Congress leader Naseem Khan.
Khan said the state unit has sent a proposal to its central leadership over the friendly fights plan in six seats.
“Congress should go for friendly fights in Sangli, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai South-Central and Bhiwandi,” he said.
Earlier this week, Sanjay Nirupam slammed his party leadership for allowing Sena (UBT) to grab most of the Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai, and said “all options were open” before him.
Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader, had rejected the friendly fight plan. He also said on Friday there won’t be seat talks.
Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena is in alliance with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).
The Lok Sabha elections will take place in seven phases between April 19 and June 1. The results will be declared on June 4.
With inputs from PTI
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