Maharashtra Elections 2024: Rift Within MVA? Nana Patole, Sanjay Raut Spar Over CM Face

Just a day after voting for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi is showing signs of internal battle over the chief ministerial face. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole and Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut are locked in war of words.

On Thursday (November 21), several media reports quoted Patole saying that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would form the government following counting of votes on November 23. He reportedly also added that the alliance will form the government under Congress' leadership, indirectly saying that a Congress leader would become the chief minister.

Sanjay Raut countered this claim and said that he did not believe a Congress leader would become the next CM and added that the CM face will be decided by top leaders of the MVA following discussions after election results.

"If Congress has decided to make Patole the CM, then Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge should officially announce his name," said Raut as quoted by Loksatta.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Mahayuti both have expressed confidence that their alliance will form the next government.

Exit Polls Favour Mahayuti

Most of the exit polls released on Wednesday have predicted that Mahayuti, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar), would retain power in the state.

Sanjay Raut has dismissed the exit polls and called them a 'fraud'. He claimed that MVA will form government and will bag 160 seats.

"Exit Polls in this country are a fraud. We saw the '400 paar' data of Exit Polls during Lok Sabha elections, we saw Congress crossing 60 in Haryana Elections. Now, they are giving data for Maharashtra. Don't trust Exit Polls. We are winning 160 seats and Maha Vikas Aghadi is forming the Government," Raut told ANI.