Lok Sabha elections 2024: Uddhav Thackeray’s ultimatum to Congress

Unyielding Uddhav Thackeray has asked the Congress to either back out or break the alliance for the contentious Sangli Lok Sabha seat The Sena UBT has refused to withdraw its candidate from Sangli forcing Congress to dare Thackeray to have a friendly contest there In Mumbai the Sena UBT president told the ally that he would field his candidate in Mumbai North if the Congress did not take it in addition to Mumbai North CentralShiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut addresses the media at Matoshree on Wednesday PicShadab KhanSena UBT president was addressing media persons after inducting the BJPs sitting MP from Jalgaon Unmesh Patil at his Kalanagar residence Matoshree on Wednesday He announced candidates including two women for Kalyan Palghar Jalgaon and Hatkanagle Contrary to expectations Thackeray did not field Unmesh Patil in Jalgaon but made Patilrsquos associate Karan Pawar the Senas contestant against BJPrsquos Smita WaghTake it or forget itldquoWe have taken four Mumbai seats We wish that the Congress contests two seatsrdquo said Thackeray Mumbai North Central is the second seat on the Senarsquos offer list that the Congress is serious about contesting but it also wants Mumbai South Central instead of Mumbai North a difficult seat to win considering the BJPrsquos track record there Sena UBT has fielded former MP Anil Desai in South Central against Rahul Shewale the incumbent MP who belongs to its rival party the Shinde SenaAttempting to erase insecurity in the Congress camp Thackeray said the wave against the lsquodictatorshiprsquo was such that the Opposition parties could win even a difficult seat like Mumbai North ldquoWe have told the Congress about it Our party leaders and workers will work wholeheartedly for the Congress wherever it contests But if it doesnrsquot contest Mumbai North we will field our candidaterdquo Thackeray said while appealing to the Congress that it should start working as per the seat distribution of the Maha Vikas Aghadi MVAShiv Sena UBTrsquos Chandrahar Patil who is contesting the Sangli seat PicX right Vaishali Darekar Shiv Sena UBTrsquos Kalyan candidate PicXlsquoBreak it contest itrsquoThackeray said there were no friendly contests in elections He was referring to the Congressrsquo preparedness to field its candidate against Sena UBTrsquos Chandrahar Patil in a lsquofriendlyrsquo contest in Sangli Despite repeated appeals from the Congress Thackeray has not withdrawn his nominee here The Sena chief justified the move saying that he had ceded Kolhapur and Ramtek for the Congress ldquoThere cannot be a friendly fight lsquofriendship todo fight karo break friendship and fightrsquordquo he said asking the Congress to work for his candidate in Sangli because his party had already begun a campaign therelsquoWe give major joltrsquoThackeray terms the induction of BJPrsquos sitting MP and host of his associates as a major jolt to the BJP ldquoThey say we have received a major jolt whenever someone leaves us But I say this is a jolt a major jolt that we have delivered Unlike those who betrayed us Patil has truly staged a revoltrdquo said Thackeray He said the Sena was known for promoting small party workers ldquoSimilarly some commoners made it big but left I wonrsquot take them back if they want to returnrdquo Thackeray said commenting on the unrest prevailing in the Shinde Sena camp in view of the BJPs interferenceAppeal to AmbedkarThackeray appealed to VBA chief Prakash Ambedkar to avoid undue criticism of the Sena and its leaders ldquoIf we could not get together today we may come together tomorrow So I request him Ambedkar to avoid making wild allegations against us We could have responded to him but chose not tordquo he said about Ambedkars decision to break ties with the Sena and MVASena UBT candidatesKalyan Vaishali DarekarPalghar Bharati KamdiJalgaon Karan PawarHatkanagle Satyajit Patil04Sena UBT candidates declared Wed