Congress should start seat-sharing talks in Maharashtra from ‘zero’, says Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut indicated on Friday that the Congress is not likely to have an easy go at seat-sharing discussions with his party for the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, reported the Hindustan Times. He did, however, refer to the Congress as an important ally.

Both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) are a part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, a coalition of 28 Opposition parties that plans to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

“Talks with the Congress [about seat sharing] have to start from zero in the state,” Raut told reporters, pointing out that the national party had not won a single constituency in Maharashtra during general Assembly polls in 2019.