The Nationalist Congress Party on Tuesday said that an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance should have the Congress but cannot exclude Opposition parties that do not belong to the United Progressive Alliance, The Hindu reported.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik made the statement on a day when Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that there cannot be an Opposition front without the Congress. The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress are part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra.

The NCP held a meeting of its working committee in Delhi on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Malik noted that the number of non-UPA Opposition MPs exceeds the number of Opposition MPs from the UPA.

“If we do not bring all of them on board, then it will be difficult to build an anti-BJP front,” the NCP spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut held a meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Tuesday, the Hindustan Times reported. Raut said that they discussed about keeping Opposition forces together.

“We [Shiv Sena] have always maintained that if there is an Opposition front, then it is not possible without Congress,” he said. The Shiv Sena MP, however, said that the question about the leadership of such an alliance can be discussed once all the parties come together.

Raut stressed the need for a meeting of Opposition parties to discuss the way forward for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. “I have told Rahul ji to take a lead in this, and work openly towards it [bringing Opposition parties together],” he said.

Raut added that Gandhi may visit Mumbai soon, and may meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The NCP and Shiv Sena leaders made the statements in the backdrop of the Trinamool Congress’ attempts to expand its influence beyond West Bengal. On December 1, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee remarked that the UPA did not exist any longer.

She had made the statement after meeting NCP chief Sharad Pawar at his home in Mumbai.

Banerjee had said “a strong alternative” was needed to oust the BJP from power. “[We] cannot do anything about those who can’t fight,” she had said.

Reacting to Banerjee’s statement, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal had said that it would be a dream to defeat the BJP without his party.