Sanjay Raut bats for Uddhav Thackeray as MVA's next 'CM face'

New Delhi/Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) In an unexpected development, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has indicated that the former chief minister and party President, Uddhav Thackeray should be projected as the next CM of Maharashtra for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Speaking to media persons, he said that it would be a risky proposition to contest the Assembly elections without a ‘CM face’, creating consternation among the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies like Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (SP).

Raut pointed out that it was owing to Thackeray’s leadership that the MVA gave a good performance in the last Lok Sabha elections -- bagging 31 out of 48 seats here -- broadly implying that the SS (UBT) chief could be the ‘CM face’ for the October 2024 Assembly polls.

“It will be dangerous to face the elections without a known CM face. Maharashtra has witnessed the good work done by Thackeray as the MVA CM (2019-2022), followed by excellent performance in the 2024 LS elections. The MVA must give a CM face to the people,” said Raut.

Earlier, some MVA leaders had indicated that the three parties -- plus their other smaller allies -- would contest the elections first and then decide on who will be the CM.

However, Raut’s abrupt statement has created confusion among the MVA -- coming on the first day of the state legislature session which started in Mumbai -- with the alliance leaders stumped.

Incidentally, this will be the last session of the current 14th Assembly whose term is due to expire in October when the next state elections are likely to be held, giving anxious moments to both the ruling and opposition sides, as they prepare for the upcoming polls.