'Bond among MVA allies strong; attempts to create rift won't work'

Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said the coordination among allies of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in Maharashtra was a model example of how a coalition government should function.

Attempts to create a rift among the ruling allies - Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress - will not work, Raut told reporters here. "The bond among the three parties is strong," he asserted and said all of them were also working to strengthen their respective party organisations.

Raut's comments came days after Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole spoke about going solo in future elections. "There is no decision yet on how to contest future elections and it will be taken at an appropriate time. The commitment of the three parties is that the present government will last for five years. The common minimum programme (CMP) is the soul of this alliance," the Rajya Sabha member said.

Raut also made it clear that any attempts to create a rift among the allies will not work, and said Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is maintaining an excellent rapport with the Congress and NCP.

Notably, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, who is under the Enforcement Directorate's scanner for alleged money laundering, has urged Thackeray to reconcile with the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi "before it is too late", saying such a move will save leaders like him from problems being created by "Central agencies".

In his June 10 letter addressed to Thackeray, Sarnaik alleged that the Congress and NCP were weakening the Shiv Sena by creating divisions in its ranks. Asked about Sarnaik's letter, Raut said the Shiv Sena has only one faction -led by Uddhav Thackeray.

"Our party is yet to be affected by factionalism. The party's stand of joining hands with the Congress and NCP was taken after due consultation with all Shiv Sena leaders," he said.