Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut didn't hold back on Sunday as he launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, accusing them of being involved in the split within the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and labeling them as party thieves.
The Shiv Sena witnessed a division in June 2022 following a rebellion led by Shinde, while the NCP faced a split after Ajit Pawar joined the state government with eight MLAs in July of the previous year.
In a direct swipe at Pawar and Shinde during his criticism, Raut remarked, "Some are stealing their uncle's party, and some are stealing somebody else's party. Have the guts to form your own party and take us on." This pointed comment was aimed at Ajit Pawar, whose uncle Sharad Pawar founded the NCP, and Shinde, whose association with the Sena originated from Uddhav Thackeray's father, the late Bal Thackeray.
Responding to Raut's jibe, CM Shinde defended his position by stating, "We are taking forward Balasaheb's party. Those who gave up his ideology for power should not speak about us." Shinde regularly accuses Uddhav Thackeray of abandoning the Hindutva ideology to forge alliances with the Congress and NCP, ultimately securing the position of chief minister in 2019.
The verbal sparring underscores the internal strife within Maharashtra's political landscape, with each leader defending their party's legacy and accusing the other of opportunistic actions.
(With Agency Inputs)
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