Bond among MVA allies strong; attempts to create rift won't work: Raut

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said the coordination among allies of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra was a model example of how a coalition government should function.

Attempts to create a rift among the ruling allies - Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress - will not work, Raut told reporters here.

"The bond among the three parties is strong," he asserted and said all of them were also working to strengthen their respective party organisations.

Raut's comments came days after Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole spoke about going solo in future elections.

"There is no decision yet on how to contest future elections and it will be taken at an appropriate time. The commitment of the three parties is that the present government will last for five years. The common minimum programme (CMP) is the soul of this alliance," the Rajya Sabha member said.

Raut also made it clear that any attempts to create a rift among the allies will not work, and said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is maintaining an excellent rapport with the Congress and NCP.

Notably, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, who is under the Enforcement Directorate's scanner for alleged money laundering, has urged Thackeray to reconcile with the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi "before it is too late", saying such a move will save leaders like him from problems being created by "Central agencies".

In his June 10 letter addressed to Thackeray, Sarnaik alleged that the Congress and NCP were weakening the Shiv Sena by creating divisions in its ranks.

Asked about Sarnaik's letter, Raut said the Shiv Sena has only one faction -led by Uddhav Thackeray.

"Our party is yet to be affected by factionalism. The party's stand of joining hands with the Congress and NCP was taken after due consultation with all Shiv Sena leaders," he said.

Pratap Sarnaik is a Sena leader and "is in trouble", Raut said, adding that the MLA had mentioned he and his family were being harassed by central investigating agencies and that he wanted the party to reconcile with PM Modi.

"It is his personal view. The party's stand has been decided. The party stands by Sarnaik in his time of trouble," Raut said.

He further said harassment of political rivals by central investigating agencies was also witnessed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders in West Bengal.

"This doesn't suit Maharashtra's culture," Raut said.

Asked what 'asana' he would suggest to the BJP on the occasion of the International Yoga Day, he said, "Shavasan."

Meanwhile, an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said, "When the Shiv Sena and BJP were allies, the BJP also had shatpratishat bhajapa (100 per cent BJP) programme. It is not wrong if any party speaks of fighting alone. The only thing is they have to check the ground beneath.