Replying to a reporter’s query about the PM face for the 2024  Lok Sabha elections, Raut said: “There will be a discussion on this. There should indeed be a face.”

However, he refrained from directly putting Uddhav’s name in the race.

“Uddhav Thackeray is a Hindutvawadi, nationalist face. A person who gets the approval of the INDIA alliance members can be the (PM) face. I don’t want to say anything outside which might create any rift in the alliance,” he added.

A meeting of the members of the INDIA alliance was scheduled to be held on Wednesday, but it was postponed as many constituents refused to attend the meeting, which was called by the Congress party.

The meeting had been postponed and could be organized on December 16 and 18, said Raut.

“The INDIA alliance meeting was supposed to be held today but some prominent leaders were not available. There is a wedding in Mamata Banerjee’s house, MK Stalin is busy with the relief operation in his flood-hit state, Nitish Kumar is not well, and Akhilesh Yadav is not available, therefore this meeting will be held on December 16 or 18. The face etc. everything will be decided in the meeting. We are together and you will see its result in 2024,” he added. 

Many INDIA bloc allies, including TMC, National Conference, Samajwadi Party, JDU and RJD have blamed the Congress for its defeat in the recent assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. 

On Tuesday, Raut said that Shiv Sena UBT, Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Congress will contest the Lok Sabha election together.

“We, the Shiv Sena, Sharad Pawar-led NCP and Congress are going to contest the election together (in Maharashtra). The BJP’s strength has not increased. They want to make themselves capable by breaking down others. But people of Maharashtra think differently than people in other states,” said Raut.

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Published: 06 Dec 2023, 05:29 PM IST