Uddhav Thackeray meets Sharad Pawar in Mumbai ahead of INDIA bloc coordination panel meet

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 12 (ANI): Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray met the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar, at the latter's Silver Oak residence in Mumbai on Tuesday, a day before the first meeting of the INDIA bloc Coordination Committee meeting scheduled to take place in the national capital. 
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and NCP MLA Jayant Patil were also present in the meeting lasted for one and a half hour. 
"There was a discussion on the meeting of INDIA alliance leaders going to be held tomorrow. We discussed which topics will be taken up in the INDAI meeting," Jayant Patil said, speaking to reporters after the meeting. 
"We decided certain things in the INDIA bloc meeting held in Mumbai. Tomorrow there is a meeting of the coordination committee in Delhi," Patil added.
Speaking about seat sharing among the Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, and the Congress in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Patil said, "There was no discussion about seat sharing but it was decided in the INDIA meeting that the formula should be fixed. There will be a meeting of the Maharashtra Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and Sharad Pawar faction soon. There will be a meeting of Vajramut in the coming days."
On whether the 'Sanatan Dharma' issue will come up in the INDIA coordination committee meeting, the NCP MLA said, "I don't know whether the issue (Sanatan Dharma) will be discussed in the coordination committee meeting or not, but the purpose of the coordination committee is to reach consensus on different issues. I am confident that whatever such issues are there, they will be resolved in the committee meeting."
On the number of NCP MLAs on Sharad Pawar's side, Jayant Patil said, "There is no correct figure on how many NCP MLAs are there with Sharad Pawar. But yes, some MLAs who went with Ajit Pawar are still in touch with us."
The split in the Shiv Sena and the NCP has altered the political landscape in Maharashtra, more so because, both the rebel factions of each of the two parties joined hands with the BJP and formed the government in the state.
The 14-member committee includes KC Venugopal (Congress), Sharad Pawar (NCP), TR Baalu (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Sanjay Raut (SS), Tejasvi Yadav (RJD), Abhishek Banerjee (TMC), Raghav Chaddha (AAP), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Lallan Singh (JD(U)), D Raja (CPI), Omar Abdullah (NC), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP) and one leader is from the CPI(M) that will give the name later.
The INDIA bloc is brainstorming on the strategy to be adopted to take on the BJP in the upcoming assembly elections in five states as well as the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha polls. (ANI)