Uddhav skips Rahul Gandhi's public events in Sangli

Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday did not attend the public meeting addressed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Maharashtra's Sangli district, where the latter also unveiled the statue of late Maharashtra minister Patangrao Kadam.

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha is on a one-day visit to Maharashtra.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi met the family members of Congress' late Nanded MP Vasant Chavan and expressed condolences.

After that, the former Congress chief came to Sangli, where he unveiled the life-size statue Patangrao Kadam at Wangi. Gandhi also visited a museum dedicated to the late leader.

Thereafter, he addressed a public rally in Sangli.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar chief Sharad Pawar, its state unit chief Jayant Patil, senior Congress leaders from the state were present there.

However, Uddhav Thackeray was conspicuous by his absence. No other leader of the Shiv Sena-UBT was present on the occasion.

Last week, Kadam's son and MLA Vishwajit Kadam said Thackeray did not confirm his participation due to his prior engagements.

The Shiv Sena-UBT, the NCP-SP and the Congress are part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which was in power in the state from November 2019 to June 2022.

Thackeray's absence assumes significance as Shiv Sena-UBT candidate was defeated in the Lok Sabha elections from Sangli constituency by Congress rebel Vishal Patil.

Patil is now the Congress's associate member in Lok Sabha.

Thackeray has been insisting that MVA's chief ministerial candidate be declared before the assembly elections, but Sharad Pawar and Congress are not on the same page with him.

Pawar on Wednesday said the decision on who will be the chief minister can be made after the poll results are out. He said the MVA's chief ministerial candidate will be decided on the basis of which party wins the most number of assembly seats.

But Sena-UBT Aaditya Thackeray maintained that there was no tussle over the issue of chief ministership.