Former Maharashtra minister and Congress leader Naseem Khan, expressing his dissatisfaction over the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s “unilateral announcement” of Lok Sabha candidates, said the Congress wanted “friendly fights” in six Lok Sabha seats. He said Uddhav Thackeray’s party’s move to declare candidates for 17 seats before a seat-sharing agreement among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) parties had “angered” Congress workers.
Naseem Khan said that the state unit had conveyed this demand to the national leadership of the Congress, which is one of the constituents of the MVA, also comprising Uddhav Sena and Sharad Pawar’s NCP.
“We met today and decided to communicate to the central leadership that we will have friendly fights on six seats, including Sangli, Mumbai South-Central and Mumbai North-West. The manner in which Shiv Sena (UBT) announced candidates on seats claimed by Congress has angered our party workers,” Khan said on Friday.
Shiv Sena (UBT), in response, said that its alliance partner’s “friendly fight” demand would only help the BJP.
“Congress is a mature party and I don’t think it will allow friendly fights to help the BJP,” Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said while asserting that there would be no discussion on seats any more.
In a sarcastic tone, he suggested that these “friendly fights” should extend to all 48 seats in Maharashtra, as well as in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Uddhav Thackeray’s party announced its candidates for 17 seats for the Lok Sabha polls on Wednesday. Immediately after the announcement, senior Congress leaders voiced their opposition to some of the candidate picks.
Senior leader Sanjay Nirupam said the declaration of Amol Kirtikar’s candidacy for Mumbai North-West seat was a “violation of alliance dharma” and called the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader a “khichdi chor”.
The remark came after Amol Kirtikar was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with alleged irregularities in the distribution of ‘khichdi’ to migrants during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat also criticised Shiv Sena’s Sangli pick, Chandrahar Patil, saying he would not be able to win the seat and asked the party to reconsider the decision.
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