Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut's statement on Uddhav Thackeray being made the prime ministerial candidate has led to a war of words with state Congress president Nana Patole.
Addressing a media conference on Saturday, Raut said that Thackeray can become the PM candidate for the INDIA bloc. He said that if Thackeray is chosen as PM candidate then NCP supremo Sharad Pawar will also support him.
Criticising Raut's statement, Patole said that earlier the Shiv Sena (UBT) MP had accepted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's name for PM candidate but now he is changing his stand on the issue.
Responding to which, Raut said that Rahul Gandhi is a national leader and he is welcome if he wants to become the PM. "Rahul is campaigning across the country. We too wish he leads the country. But there are many other leaders in the INDIA bloc like Mamata Banerjee, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav and Mallikarjun Kharge. If we name our party leader then there is nothing wrong," he said clarifying that the party has a good relationship with Rahul Gandhi.
Raut further said that Thackeray performed very well as Maharashtra CM. "The name of the PM candidate is not being discussed by INDIA bloc. The primary aim is to destroy the dictator. People are not accepting BJP and PM Modi. BJP will surely be defeated," he added.
He also claimed that Thackeray's recent statement on deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis assuring him that Aaditya Thackeray will be the CM is 100 per cent true. "Devendra Fadnavis cherishes a dream of becoming the finance minister, home minister and Prime Minister. But his dream is not acceptable to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. This is why his wings were clipped and he was made only the deputy CM of Maharashtra," Raut added.
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