Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 11: Amid growing tensions within the INDIA alliance, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut announced that his party would contest the upcoming municipal corporation elections in Mumbai and Nagpur independently.
Raut revealed that he had discussed the decision with Nagpur Shiv Sena chief Pramod Manmode and stated, “We will fight the Mumbai and Nagpur Municipal Corporation elections on our own, regardless of the outcomes. Uddhav Thackeray has given us the go-ahead, and I just spoke to our city chief Pramod Manmode about it.”
The senior leader emphasized that the move was aimed at strengthening the party at the grassroots level. He noted that party workers often don’t get a chance to contest in general or assembly elections, and this has hindered the party’s growth.
“In alliances, our workers don’t get the opportunity to contest in Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly elections, and this is affecting the growth of our party. We should fight local elections such as Municipal Corporations, Zilla Parishads, and Nagar Panchayats independently to empower our party,” Raut said.
This announcement follows Raut’s recent comments urging Congress to take responsibility for preserving the INDIA alliance, which was formed to contest the 2024 general elections. He expressed disappointment that no meetings have been held since the alliance’s formation, emphasizing that it was Congress’s responsibility to convene one.
“The INDIA alliance was formed for the Lok Sabha elections, but since then, not a single meeting has been held. It is up to the Congress party to organize such a meeting,” Raut added.
The alliance is currently facing internal challenges, particularly with the Congress and AAP at odds over the upcoming Delhi assembly elections on February 5. Earlier, CPI General Secretary D Raja acknowledged that the INDIA bloc was divided following the Lok Sabha elections, stressing the need for left-wing parties to unite secular and democratic forces to pose a strong challenge to the BJP.