"If Congress, NCP has any face, Uddhav is ready to lend support": Sanjay Raut on opposition CM face

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], August 17 : Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Saturday that party chief Uddhav Thackeray never said that he would become the Chief Minister and if the Congress or NCP (SCP) has any face, then Uddhav is ready to lend support.
Talking to the media at the Nagpur airport today, Raut said, "Uddhav Thackeray does not need to come forward, he did not come forward even in 2019, everyone together made him CM. Now talking about 2024, Uddhav Thackeray never said that I would become CM, listen to yesterday's speech. If Congress NCP has any face then bring it forward, Uddhav Thackeray is ready to support that face, but Uddhav Thackeray is in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra."
Notably, Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said that he does not support the idea of the party with the maximum MLAs getting the Chief Minister post.
"The election commission should announce the elections of Maharashtra today, we are prepared. We will contest elections together as Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi. We will see whom to make Chief Minister, Prithviraj Chavan, and Pawar Saheb is here, and you may announce anyone as a CM candidate. I will support that name," said Uddhav Thackeray.
"After our experience with BJP in alliance, we are of the view that we should not follow the policy of the party with the most number of MLAs in the alliance will get the CM post. Because in the last elections, with the BJP in alliance with us, we experienced that to get the maximum number of MLAs, the allies themselves try to put other ally candidates down. So, I will not favour the party with the most number of MLAs getting the CM post," he added further.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar on Friday said that the high demand for security forces in Jammu and Kashmir is the primary reason for not holding elections in Maharashtra.
On being asked about Assembly Elections in Maharashtra, the Chief Election Commissioner said, "Last time, Maharashtra and Haryana Assembly elections were held together. At that time, J-K was not a factor but this time there are 4 elections this year and 5th election immediately after this, which is to start with J-K, Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. Depending on the requirement of forces, we have decided to conduct 2 elections together. We cannot announce another election in the middle of the Jammu and Kashmir elections," Kumar said.
He further cited rainfall and the series of festivals that are scheduled in the state.
The Lok Sabha polls 2024 have given a boost to the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance, with the Shiv Sena (UBT) winning seven seats, the Congress 13, and the NCP-SP one, taking the total tally of the alliance 17.