'Talks on CM face can happen later': Shiv Sena (UBT)'s u-turn after Pawar Sr's Maha formula for MVA

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that talks on the chief ministerial candidate of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for the upcoming assembly elections in Maharashtra can be decided later. He further said that the main priority of the MVA bloc is to remove the 'corrupt' Mahayuti-led state government. 

Raut's comment comes a day after NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar said that there was no need for the MVA to announce a CM face. Pawar Sr also said that the decision can be made based on the numbers after the election results. 

"Pawar saheb is 100 per cent right. This is a three-party government, but the MVA is getting majority in Maharashtra. Our first task is to dislodge the current government. We can talk about the CM's post any time later," Raut was quoted as saying by newswire PTI. 

On Wednesday, Thackeray scion Aaditya Thackeray said that there was no tussle among the MVA allies for the CM post. Raut's remarks indicate a change in the party's stance over who will head the next government in the state.

Uddhav Thackeray has pressed for the top post if the Maha Vikas Aghadi gets elected back to power. Later, he said that he would support "any chief ministerial candidate" endorsed by the Congress and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). 

The Congress, on the other hand, suggested making Uddhav Thackeray the chief of the coalition instead of declaring him as the CM face of the MVA bloc.

Thackeray had to resign as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra after a rebellion in his party led by Eknath Shinde in 2022, which led to the fall of Thackeray's government.

Sharad Pawar also said that MVA leaders should sit for seat-sharing talks beginning September 7-9. He also said that the MVA should involve parties such as the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), CPI, and CPI-M.

Pawar Sr said that these parties have some influence in certain pockets of the state and supported the MVA in the Lok Sabha polls. Maharashtra assembly polls are likely to be held in November this year.