MVA has reached consensus on 210 seats: Sanjay Raut

The Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA has reached consensus on 210 of the 288 assembly seats for Maharashtra Assembly election 2024 which is a significant achievement the Uddhav Thackerayled Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut said on Monday accusing the BJP was spreading misinformation reported the PTIThe aim is to ensure the defeat of forces looting Maharashtra he said in a swipe at the ruling alliance comprising Chief Minister Eknath Shindes Shiv Sena the BJP and Ajit Pawarled NCPWe have arrived at a consensus on 210 seats It is a significant achievement We aim to contest polls as a joint force and we will defeat the forces looting Maharashtra Raut a Rajya Sabha MP and key strategist for the Shiv Sena UBT told reporters as per the PTIThe MVA comprises the Shiv Sena UBT the Congress and Sharad Pawars NCP SPSanjay Rauts comments came amid a flurry of news channel reports that the Uddhav Thackerayled party may break away from the MVA and contest all 288 seats on its ownThe past few days have seen hectic parleys among the three main opposition parties to finalise a seatsharing deal with speculation doing the rounds of the Congress and Shiv Sena UBT not being on the same pageThe statement from Sanjay Raut also comes amid speculation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah having a phone conservation with him hinting at the Shiv Sena UBT and BJP which were allies for decades before going their separate ways in 2019 getting back togetherThe two parties had broken of their alliance after the 2019 assembly polls The undivided Shiv Sena at the time accused the BJP of going back on a promise to share the chief ministerial tenure The BJP has routinely denied any such agreementAsked about the phone conversation Sanjay Raut said The BJP is feeding false news We know who is doing it The party fears loss in the assembly polls so is spreading misinformation according to the PTISanjay Raut said the BJP engineered a split in the Shiv Sena in June 2022 brought down Thackerays MVA government and also ensured the party name and symbol went to the rebel faction led by Eknath ShindeThe worst the BJP did was to give the reins of the government to traitors a term the Uddhav group uses to describe Shinde and rebel MLAs who have been looting the state for the past couple of years We Uddhav faction have had maximum conflicts with the BJP Sanjay Raut further said underlining the impossibility of a rapprochement the news agency reported on MondaySanjay Raut emphasised such misinformation has nothing to do with seatsharing discussions in the MVAAsked about some Congress leaders leaking information to the media against the Shiv Sena UBT Raut said he was surprised a Congress leader can make such a comment the PTI reportedWe will not assist the BJP which seeks to undermine the Constitution and insult the pride of Maharashtra Sanjay Raut assertedMaharashtra assembly polls will be held on November 20 while results will be declared on November 23 The term of the current assembly ends on November 26with PTI inputs