21 March,2024 08:56 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Uddhav Thackeray being felicitated by Shahu Maharaj Chhatrapati during a meeting in Kolhapur. Pic/PTI
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that his party will rally behind Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, a descendant of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, to make him victorious in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported the PTI.
Though the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is yet to finalise its seat-sharing arrangement for the April-May polls, Uddhav Thackeray said that Shahu Maharaj will be the opposition alliance's candidate from Kolhapur in southwestern Maharashtra, according to the PTI.
The Shiv Sena (UBT), the Congress and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) are constituents of the MVA, a state-level grouping which is part of the INDIA bloc.
"There is a deep connect between the Thackeray family and Shahu Maharaj since the days of my grandfather. I am sure this relation will remain intact in the current and future generations too," said Uddhav Thackeray after meeting Shahu Maharaj in Kolhapur, as per the PTI.
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"I am sure Shiv Sainiks will make Shahu Maharaj victorious from the Kolhapur Lok Sabha seat because it is a matter of Maharashtra's pride," said the former Maharashtra CM, the news agency reported.
Uddhav Thackeray said he will campaign for Shahu Maharaj, a widely respected figure, and also take part in his victory rally after the results in June.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader maintained he has taken Shahu Maharaj's blessings to become victorious in his ongoing fight with his political rivals.
Meanwhile, the talks among Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents in Maharashtra are stuck over a few seat for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 and the stalemate will be resolved in a day or two, a Congress leader said on Thursday, the PTI reported on Thursday.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Congress leader said his party was involved in an impasse with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Ramtek (in Vidarbha) and Sangli (western Maharashtra) Lok Sabha seats, as well as on Bhiwandi (near Mumbai) with the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar).
The Shiv Sena (UBT) was adamant that the Congress leave Ramtek for it if the grand old party wanted Mumbai South Central, he claimed.
"We have a candidate in Sangli, while NCP(SP) wants Bhiwandi, which is our seat. The Congress will now contest Mumbai North Central and Mumbai North East. Our party has swapped Wardha for Amravati with the Sharad Pawar-led NCP," the leader said, the news agency reported.
(with PTI inputs)
