'Huge task, all want to dictate terms': Raut banks on Prashant Kishor for Anti-BJP front

Amid speculation over the likely formation of a third front, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday opined that bringing all the opposition parties together and forming a consensus on a face to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is a mammoth task, given that every regional party considers itself a king and tries to "dictate terms".

"It is a huge task to bring all the parties together and form a consensus on a face to take on the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as every opposition party considers itself the king and tries to dictate terms," the Shiv Sena leader said while speaking with a regional news channel in Delhi.

When asked about Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar becoming the face of the anti-BJP front, Raut said that Pawar is a senior national leader but some are thinking of West Bengal CM and Trinamool Congress Supremo Mamata Banerjee too.

"In such a scenario, if (poll strategist) Prashant Kishor can do some magic, I will be happy," Raut said while adding that he shared good relations with Prashant Kishor. Raut also clarified that Prashant Kishor's meeting with Congress leadership is entirely his own business.

Congress-Shiv Sena equation

Sanjay Raut's statements assume significance amid the rift between the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, wherein Congress has threatened on multiple occasions to part ways with its allies NCP and Shiv Sena in any elections held in the future.

Prashant Kishor, being the political advisor of Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has access to Congress High Command which is the decision-maker for Congress, despite the party's poll debacle in past few years. Raut's statement seems like an expectation from Prashant Kishor to strike a balance between Shiv Sena and Congress, and also getting TMC onboard for an alliance against the BJP, as Prashant Kishor has been instrumental in TMC's success in West Bengal polls.

Also, Raut's statements come at a time when Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has been regularly making it clear that Congress will not contest future elections in alliance with NCP and Shiv Sena. Congress has said it will independently contest the next year's BMC election, which is now held by Shiv Sena.

It is no secret that Congress and Shiv Sena have longstanding ideological differences with their stance on Savarkar as well as the Ram Janmabhoomi, CAA and NRC among others. Also, Congress has aired grouse of not being given enough say in the tri-partite MVA government. However, Congress has maintained that there is no threat to the tripartite MVA Government.

Moreover, Prashant Kishor met Sharad Pawar twice last month after which there was a highly talked about controversial meeting with people from political, journalistic and different walks of life who were part of the meet. It was then termed as Rashtra Manch meeting, although they denied having formed an anti-BJP or third front.