Shiv Sena’s strong ‘no’ to Owaisi’s party sending feelers to Congress, NCP

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday trashed any possibility of an alliance with Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM after AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel said his party is willing to ally with the NCP and the Congress in Maharashtra, the parties which are partners with Shiv Sena in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

As Maharashtra health minister and NCP leader Rajesh Tope visited Imtiaz Jaleel following the death of the AIMIM MP’s mother, Jaleel said he spoke about AIMIM’s willingness to ally with the NCP and the Congress. He, however, did not mention Shiv Sena. On being asked about Shiv Sena, teh Aurangabad MP said, “The fact is that these parties want votes of Muslims. Why only NCP? The Congress also says they are secular and they also want votes of Muslims. We are ready to join hands with them too. The BJP has done the maximum damage to this country. We are ready to do everything to defeat them.”

“In Maharashtra also, these parties (Congress and NCP) want votes of Muslims but not the AIMIM. You blame us for BJP’s victory. I propose that then let us contest the elections together,” Jaleel said, adding that everyone wants Muslim votes, but they do not want Owaisi.

Sanjay Raut said Sena cannot imagine forming an alliance with the AIMIM. “Imtiaz Jaleel is an MP of AIMIM. I keep meeting him, that doesn’t mean we’re forming an alliance with them. We cannot imagine forming an alliance with AIMIM. Moreover, there is a secret alliance between AIMIM & BJP, you must have seen in the UP polls,” Sanjay Raut said.

The developments come amid on-and-off rumours of rifts among the partners in the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of Maharashtra.

(With agency inputs)