Uddhav-Raj Alliance Can’t Be Broken Now: Raut

Mumbai: Taking a dig at the BJP, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader on Monday said the next Mumbai mayor will be a Marathi with ‘real saffron colour,’ who will not be someone who will bend before Delhi. The remarks are seen as a clear indication that Shiv Sena (UBT) will be banking on its tried and trusted ‘sons of the soul’ agenda in the forthcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections.

Raut also commented on the possible tie-up between his party and Raj Thackeray-led MNS ahead of civic polls saying the alliance will be forged with ‘heart and mind.’ “This alliance will be made from ‘dil’ (heart) and ‘dimag’ (mind). This is not a political alliance. This is an alliance made with tan-mann-dhan,” he said.

Amid the talks of two parties coming together, the Thackeray cousins met on Sunday during the family event. Raj then went to Uddhav’s residence ‘Matoshree’ and held discussions with him.

Raut said that the discussion was political in nature and that the two sides have reached an advanced stage in discussions for a possible alliance ahead of the upcoming municipal elections.

“Whatever anyone says, the dialogue and relationship between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray have become very strong. Even if someone tries their hardest to break it, the talks have progressed much further. There is no turning back now,” Raut said.

“No matter who says what at their rallies, these two brothers are determined to stand shoulder to shoulder,” he added.

However, when asked if MNS would become a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Sena (UBT) leader said that only Raj can respond to this question. “The MVA was formed out of three major parties. The MNS is an independent party. The discussions are between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS (for the civic polls). However, the ties with the MVA are good and Raj Thackeray has good ties with the MVA leaders,” he said.

The MVA is made of the Shiv Sena (UBT), the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) and Congress in Maharashtra.

However, an MNS said that there was no political discussion between the two leaders, and Raj Thackeray visited Matoshree as he was attending an event nearby. When asked about the official announcement about an alliance between the two parties, he said there are 27 civic bodies in the state, and it is necessary to have a detailed discussion on every seat and panel.