Uddhav Thackeray Not A Face For 2024 Lok Sabha Polls: Sena Rebel Rahul Shewale
NDTV
The issue of leadership for the next Lok Sabha polls came up during several meetings the now-rebel leaders had with Mr Thackeray in the run-up to a split in the Shiv Sena, he said.
Rebel Shiv Sena leader Rahul Shewale on Thursday said Uddhav Thackeray was not a "winnable" face for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and it was imperative for them to tie up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The issue of leadership for the next Lok Sabha polls came up during several meetings the now-rebel leaders had with Mr Thackeray in the run-up to a split in the Shiv Sena, Mr Shewale, who was named as the leader of the party in the lower house of Parliament on Tuesday, told PTI.
"I raised the issue of leadership for the Lok Sabha election during a meeting with Thackeray. Sanjay Raut, who was also present, gestured towards Thackeray as the face for the election. I told him that we respect Thackeray but we have to be realistic. He cannot be the face for the Lok Sabha polls," he said.
Mr Shewale said the Shiv Sena's alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress had further complicated matters as the parties were rivals in several constituencies.
