Naidu and Nitish have to decide on being allies with an autocrat, says Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on 5 June said TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and JDU's Nitish Kumar, whose support is key to the formation of the next government, have to decide whether they want to join hands with an autocrat, a remark aimed at the BJP leadership.

Talking to reporters, Raut said his party will not oppose if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi decides to lead the INDIA bloc government and be the prime ministerial face.

The INDIA bloc leaders will meet in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss the further course of action. Raut also said PM Modi should accept that he has faced moral defeat as his party did not get a majority to form the government and that the Modi brand is now finished.

"Chandrababu and Nitish Kumar have to decide whether they want to go with an autocrat and work in a democratic system. I don't think they will go with an autocrat," Raut said.

"Modi ji is not forming a government for the third time," he claimed.

As per the Lok Sabha elections results, the BJP has bagged 240 seats, 32 short of an absolute majority.

With support from key allies N Chandrababu Naidu's Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Nitish Kumar's JD(U), which won 16 and 12 seats in Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, respectively, and other alliance partners, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) crossed the halfway mark.