Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar has said that Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut met him last week, PTI reported on Wednesday. The meeting comes amid reports of an increasing rift between the Sena and its ally Bharatiya Janata Party.
“During the meeting, I got a feeling that Uddhav was not interested in continuing in the government,” Pawar was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. “He seemed dissatisfied.” The veteran leader said that he told Thackeray to declare the Sena’s position first, Mint reported.
In the past few weeks, the party has repeatedly attacked the BJP-led Maharashtra government and released a booklet titled Ghotalebaaz BJP (Scamster BJP) that names BJP leaders and ministers allegedly involved in scams.
In October, Raut had called the BJP the Shiv Sena’s “principal enemy” and said that his party was part of the Maharashtra government “just for the sake of it”.
Although the Shiv Sena is yet to confirm the meeting with Pawar, sources in the party told The Indian Express that it took place the same day Thackeray met Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee in Mumbai.
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