Sena (UBT) never called for disbanding INDIA bloc or MVA: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said his party wants to go solo in the local bodies polls to strengthen its base and has never called for dissolution of the opposition INDIA bloc or the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Raut's remarks came a day after he cited the lack of opportunities for workers of respective parties in an alliance and the right to organisational growth as the major considerations for contesting solo, which raised a question mark over the opposition bloc's unity.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Raut said, "The MVA was formed for the assembly polls and INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha elections. The local body elections are meant to empower party workers and strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level."  "I or my party have never said that the INDIA bloc or the MVA should be dissolved," the Rajya Sabha member added.

The INDIA bloc and MVA alliances include the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP).

Asked about the Congress leaders criticising him over comments regarding plans to go alone in the polls, Raut said the grand old party's members should listen to his full comments before reacting.

"The Congress leaders should have the habit of listening to others," he said.

Raut said the Shiv Sena (UBT) wants to ensure its 'flaming torch' (poll) symbol reaches voters at the grassroot level.

The MVA allies should now work at the booth-level to strengthen its parties and their workers, he said.

"We have time as there are four-and-a-half years for the next Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly elections," the Sena (UBT) leader said.

Asked about NCP (SP) head Sharad Pawar's discussion with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on bringing peace in Beed and Parbhani, Raut said Maharashtra is stunned after the assembly poll results.

"Peace cannot come by giving protection to the killers of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and Somnath Suryavanshi," he said.

The brutal murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the sarpanch of Massajog village in Beed district, on December 9 has triggered a slugfest between the ruling and opposition parties as one of the persons held in a related extortion case is a close associate of state minister Dhananjay Munde.

The incident has led to widespread protests in the state and also given rise to fears of a caste conflict since Deshmukh was a Maratha and some of those held hail from the Vanjari community.

Somnath Suryavanshi, who was arrested following violence in Parbhani on December 10 after a replica of the Constitution was vandalised, died on December 15 after he was rushed to a hospital from jail following sudden illness.

The ruling Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP won 230 of the state's 288 seats in the November 2024 assembly polls, shrinking MVA's tally to 46 seats, with Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP) each contributing 20, 16 and 10 seats, respectively.