No proposal from MNS on joining INDIA bloc, says Congress leader Sapkal

Mumbai, Oct 16 (PTI) Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Thursday clarified that no proposal has been received from the Raj Thackeray-led MNS on joining the Opposition INDIA bloc, a national level front against the ruling BJP.

Talking to reporters here, Sapkal asserted the issue of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) joining INDIA bloc doesn't arise as no proposal in this regard has been received yet from the Raj Thackeray-headed outfit.

MNS president Raj Thackeray was part of an Opposition delegation that met State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare and Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam in Mumbai on Wednesday to raise concerns over alleged irregularities in the voters' list head of the local body polls in the state.

The MNS is not part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), a state-level grouping of Opposition parties in Maharashtra. MVA constituents Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) are also members of the INDIA bloc.

Sapkal clarified the Opposition delegation's visit to election officials had nothing to do with the MNS's possible entry into the alliance.

"No proposal has been received from the MNS regarding joining the alliance. If such a matter arises, it will be discussed and decided by the INDIA bloc partners," he affirmed.

Besides Raj Thackeray, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, and Congress politician Balasaheb Thorat, among others, were part of the delegation.

Speculation is rife in political circles in Maharashtra that cousins Raj and Uddhav Thackeray may join hands for the upcoming local body polls, including elections to Mumbai, Thane and Pune civic corporations.

The once estranged cousins have met multiple times in the last few months, strengthening the buzz about a formal alliance between them. PTI MR RSY