Within hours after his party’s MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut made an out-of-turn statement projecting him as the “CM face” of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray resorted to “damage-control” exercise by saying that the Opposition MVA would announce its Chief Ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls.

After Raut made an out-of-turn “Uddhav CM face” statement that threatened to unleash rift within the Opposition Maja Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ranks, the Sena (UBT) said: “First, let the ruling BJP-led MahaYuti announce its `face’ that contributed to the NDA’s disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra. This is necessary because the MahaYuti leaders are indulging in blame game as to who is responsible for the ruling alliance’s defeat in the LS polls.  We will announce our CM face later.” “The MVA’s CM face’ is Maharashtra,” Uddhav said, as he sought to bring curtains down on what would have been controversy over the MVA’s “CM face” for the State Assembly polls to be held in October this year.  

Earlier, speaking to media persons in the national capital, Raut had set the cat among the pigeons by saying that Uddhav should be projected as the chief ministerial face for the State Assembly elections.  

“It will be dangerous to go to the State Assembly polls without a CM face. Maharashtra has witnessed the good work done by Thackeray as the MVA CM (2019-2022). It has also seen the MVA’s excellent performance in the 2024 LS elections. The MVA must give a CM face to the people,” Raut said.

Raut had made the statement even before the MVA – comprising Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP (Sharad Pawar) – deliberated on the MVA’s chief ministerial candidate.

State NCP ( Sharad Pawar) chief Jayant Patil took exception to Raut’s statement and said: “The decision relating to the chief ministerial face has to be taken at the meeting among the MVA leaders”.