Shiv Sena-UBT MP and Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Monday categorically denied speculation in some quarters that he reportedly met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the run-up to the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Interacting briefly with media persons in the midst of seat-sharing negotiations of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies, Raut also rubbished a ruling Shiv Sena leader's predictions that the SS-UBT, led by Uddhav Thackeray, would return to the BJP-NDA fold. To buttress his claims, the Shiv Sena leader contended that Thackeray and the SS-UBT were reportedly being short-changed in the matter of seat allocation by the MVA, specifically the Congress.
"'These are just gossips running in the ruling side's media machinery. We know who is doing it and why… We also have our own small 'Pegagus' set-up which keeps us informed,' said Raut, referring to the infamous Israeli spyware controversy.
When some media persons questioned him on the issue claiming that Congress allegedly raised this issue, the SS-UBT MP said that this question was indeed "laughable".
He made it clear that the SS-UBT has been fighting hard for the last few years to preserve the dignity of Maharashtra, "but it was not for joining the BJP, which had split the (undivided) Shiv Sena founded by Balasaheb Thackeray, snatched its name and poll symbol" and handed over the state's reins to a "traitor" (CM Eknath Shinde) in June 2022. He again clarified that support for the BJP or PM Narendra Modi or Shah would mean aligning with Bijapur Adil Shahi dynasty general Afzal Khan.
"The fact that the media keeps flashing such news indicates how much it is functioning under pressure… But we know from where these rumours are coming, why and how they are being circulated," said Raut in a veiled warning to arrest political speculation that could derail sensitive discussions among the MVA allies.
The sharp comments from the SS-UBT leader come within the backdrop of a bitter backroom war over the issue of seat-sharing with the Congress that has raised questions on the fate of the MVA barely three weeks before the polling day.
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