Congress should be bedrock of alliance, not leadership, says Sanjay Raut

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday launched an indirect attack on the Congress leadership, claiming that there was a lack of strong leadership in Delhi capable of taking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 general election. Raut advocated the need for an alliance like Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) at the national level, hinting at a non-Congress leadership. The Sena MP said he had a discussion with NCP chief Sharad Pawar on the formation of a strong opposition alliance at the national level.
Congress is a part of the MVA in Maharashtra, and Raut wants the party to be part of a new alliance to take on the Modi government at the Centre, but the alliance should not be under Congress leadership, unlike in the United Progressive Alliance
(UPA), which was at the Centre from 2004-14.
Raut told journalists on Sunday, “The country needs a strong opposition alliance in the near future to take on BJP and Congress would be the ‘soul’ of any opposition alliance. However, Congress needs to improve their performance. As I have said earlier, the Maharashtra pattern should be implemented. MVA alliance is doing well in Maharashtra. Such type of an alliance is needed at the national level.” The Sena’s chief spokesperson also said that he had discussed the issue with Pawar on Saturday.
On the leadership of the possible alliance, Raut said, “Everyone wants to become a leader. However, it should be decided in consultation with every partner. Like three different parties with different ideologies came together and formed MVA under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray in Maharashtra; it is an ideal alliance.”
In his weekly column ‘Rokhthok’ in Sena mouthpiece Saamna, Raut pointed out that TMC chief Mamata Banerjee won West Bengal, but the performance of Congress and the Left was painful.