Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP, Sanjay Raut likely to meet Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at Delhi to discuss better coordination of both the parties, since both the parties share power in Maharashtra.

Shiv Sena is in better understanding with Congress party, this it has decided to cement the alliance of the two parties in future, especially 2024 Lok Sabha elections. At present, Congress has seat sharing arrangements with NCP.

Congress sources however indicated that the Sena might back the Congress in the state elections early next year. Three parties have decided to fight the elections unitedly.

Though the Sena has negligible presence in some of these states, like Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, the political symbolism of extending support to the Congress speaks to the surprising, newfound proximity of the two ideologically opposed parties who had struggled to come together in the first place, NDTV reported.

The meeting comes days after the Shiv Sena, a former BJP ally, defended the Congress from attacks by Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.

In response to Mamata Banerjee's "what UPA?" remarks during her Mumbai visit, questioning the existence of the Congress-led coalition that was in power between 2004 and 2014, the Sena wrote a strong rebuttal in its mouthpiece, Saamna.

"It is true that Mamata Banerjee finished the Congress, Left and BJP in West Bengal. But keeping Congress out of national politics will amount to strengthening the current fascist forces. It is understandable that (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and his BJP feel that Congress should be wiped out. This is part of their agenda. But it is more dangerous when those fighting against Modi and his ideology think that the Congress should be wiped out," stated in Saamna.