The Congress today appeared unimpressed with the Shiv Sena's decision not to align with the BJP and go solo in the Lok Sabha and Maharashtra elections in 2019 and obliquely questioned the Uddhav Thackeray-led party's continuance in the central and state governments. "The Sena resolution in this connection is not important, but how they are still working (with the BJP) is.
One who is pro-poor, pro-people cannot be in this government," AICC general secretary in-charge for Maharashtra Mohan Prakash said. He said the Congress was focusing on reaching out to people and strengthening its Maharashtra unit, which has 48 Lok Sabha seats and 288 assembly segments. A senior party leader said it was too early to say if the the Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP would come together. "There is a lot of time for both the elections. We will decide on our course of action keeping in view the situation at the time of the polls," the leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added. The resolution to part ways with the BJP and go it alone in the elections next year was tabled by Sena MP Sanjay Raut at the party's National Executive meeting in Mumbai. The party has shared an uneasy alliance with the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra since the state elections in 2014.
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