On Thursday, March 4, Senior Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut declared that the party won’t contest the upcoming assembly election in West Bengal. Moreover, he also stated that the party would be extending its support to Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Taking it to Twitter, Sanjay Raut made the announcement and said that the decision was taken following discussions with party president and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
“A lot of people are curious to know whether Shiv Sena is contesting West Bengal Polls or not? So here’s the update after discussions with Party President Uddhav ji Thackeray,” Raut wrote.
Hailing Banerjee as the “real Bengal tigress”, the party, which had earlier said that it would join the electoral battle in the state, vowed to “stand in solidarity” with the TMC camp.
Raut tweeted that at the moment, it appears to be a “Didi vs All fight.” He added that all M’s – money, muscle, and media - are being used against the Mamata Didi. Hence the party has decided to not contest the Bengal assembly polls and support her.
— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) March 4, 2021
The Shiv Sena, which was a long-time ally of the BJP, parted ways in 2019 to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in alliance with the Congress and the NCP. It has, since then, often exchanged barbs with its former ally. The NCP is already in alliance with the Trinamool in West Bengal.
The BJP now sees itself merely an arm's distance away from power in West Bengal, ruled by Banerjee-led TMC. The run up to the state election has been particularly vitriolic with instances of violence and name-calling and a flurry of leaders shifting loyalties - especially from the TMC to the BJP.
Moreover, BJP central election committee will meet today to finalise the party’s first list of candidates for the crucial West Bengal assembly election 2021.
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