Shiv Sena may form alliance with Congress in Goa and UP, says Sanjay Raut

Following up his meeting with Rahul Gandhi, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday held a meeting with Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi making it clear that the Uddhav Thackeray-led party sees the Grand Old Party as the fulcrum of the Opposition though it wants the grouping to be stronger.

After his meeting with Priyanka, the Sena leader described the discussions as “positive” and that they were thinking of working together in Uttar Pradesh and Goa. Priyanka is the party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. With this, Sena has once again made it clear that it is not in favour of the TMC’s latest efforts in taking the lead of the Opposition.

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Sources said Sena, which otherwise plans to contest in 22 of the 40 seats, is also exploring the possibility of an alliance with Congress in poll-bound Goa. Congress is also in talks with NCP.

Raut is learnt to have told Rahul that an alliance will pool in anti-BJP forces that could blunt the TMC-led efforts. Though unrelated to the meeting with Raut, Rahul also had a meeting with party observer P Chidambaram and party in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao on poll strategy in Goa on Tuesday.

Sources said Raut has conveyed to Rahul during Tuesday’s meeting that he needs to take the lead in reaching out to non-BJP parties and strengthen the existing United Progressive Alliance.

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