Eknath Shinde led the mutiny that split Uddhav Thackeray's party in 2022
New Delhi:
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut took a swipe at his estranged brother-in-arms Eknath Shinde as the new Mahayuti government prepares to take oath, saying the “Shinde era is over” and he will “never again Chief Minister would be”. The Rajya Sabha MP also warned that the BJP could break Shinde's party, formed after his mutiny split Shiv Sena and catapulted him to the post of Chief Minister.
Mr Shinde will tonight take oath as Deputy Chief Minister in the new Mahayuti government led by Devendra Fadnavis. The decision follows nearly two weeks of tension after the BJP-led alliance scored a landslide victory in the Maharashtra elections. The victory was followed by tension as the Sena insisted that Mr Shinde should be allowed to remain as chief minister, and the BJP refused. Ultimately, Mr. Shinde blinked and said he would not be an obstacle in government formation and would accept any decision taken by the BJP leadership. The suspense then shifted to whether he would take up the deputy post until a Sena leader confirmed that he would.
#WATCH | Delhi: Ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Maharashtra CM candidate Devendra Fadnavis today, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut says, “The Shinde era is over, it lasted just two years. His use is now over and he has been cast aside. Shinde will never be the CM of this… pic.twitter.com/4kyySN4uEZ
— ANI (@ANI) December 5, 2024
To a question related to Mr Fadnavis' comment that he would run the government along with Mr Shinde and NCP chief Ajit Pawar, Mr Raut said: “The Shinde era is over. It had been two years. His purpose has been served and he is He will never again become the chief minister of this state. They can even break Shinde's party. This has always been the BJP's line in politics: they kill the parties that collaborate with them.
The mutiny led by Mr Shinde in 2022 toppled the Uddhav Thackeray government of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. The Sena leader then joined hands with the BJP and formed the government. The Uddhav Thackeray faction was named Shiv Sena (UBT). In these state elections, the Mahayuti scored 230 seats, with the BJP winning 132 seats, Shinde-led Sena 57 and NCP 41.
Mr Raut said despite the Mahayuti having a majority, there has been a delay in government formation. “It means something is wrong within their party or Mahayuti. This issue will become visible from tomorrow. They are not working in the interest of Maharashtra or the country. They came together out of selfishness. But people across the state have come out. take to the streets against the election results, that they do not accept it. Still, the state is getting the chief minister today, we welcome him,” he said.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition bloc, comprising Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP, has raised questions over the EVM voting method following the poll results which they described as 'shocking', especially months after their good show in the Lok Sabha polls. . The BJP has dismissed these allegations, citing the opposition bloc's victory in the Jharkhand polls held alongside the Maharashtra elections.