The Shiv Sena on Tuesday made it clear that Opposition unity was not viable without the Congress, arguing that any separate front wasn’t desirable.

Speaking to the media after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Sena leader Sanjay Raut said: “The discussions were political; Mamata Banerjee’s moves were discussed. No front is possible without the Congress. I don’t want to reveal everything to the media before reporting to Uddhav Thackeray. But I told Rahul Gandhi to come forward and take the lead in forging Opposition unity.”

Asked how he could say the Congress should lead when Trinamul was saying Mamata should be the leader, Raut said: “When did I say who should be the leader of the front? I am saying there should be only one front. Two-three fronts will be meaningless, and won’t be able to fight the BJP. If somebody forms a front, there will be another front working under the Congress leadership.”

That the Sena believes Rahul should come forward and take the lead in forging Opposition unity is a position entirely different from the stand taken by Mamata, who has said “the fight cannot be carried forward by remaining in foreign countries half the time”.

Raut is scheduled to meet Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday to discuss the Uttar Pradesh elections. There is a hint of the Sena formally declaring support to the Congress for the upcoming Assembly elections.

While the Sena doesn’t have much support base in the poll-bound states, the decision will send out another message of its politics against the backdrop of Trinamul taking on the Congress in Goa and supporting Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh

Asked if Sena will act as a mediator between Trinamul and Congress, Raut said: “Sharad Pawar is more competent to play that role.”

Although what Rahul said at the meeting with Raut is not known, Congress leaders had made it clear beforehand that Mamata’s hostility was uncalled for and had caused deep anguish to senior leaders.

A Congress functionary told The Telegraph: “It is true that there is much greater trust deficit with Trinamul today than the Sena despite ideological reservations. The Sena has shown far greater political stability than many of our secular allies.”

Another leader from Maharashtra said: “Uddhav Thackeray has surprised all of us; we didn’t expect such maturity from Sena. Since they have aligned with us, there has been no conflict, ideological or political. Thackeray fully understands the political dynamics of opposition and has shown a pragmatic approach. The Congress too should not let the ideological baggage of the past undermine the relations”.