published by, Sanstuti Nath
Last Update: April 30, 2023, 2:58 PM IST
Sanjay Raut said, “I am going to seek votes for Maharashtra Integration Committee in Marathi speaking areas in Karnataka (File Image/@ANI)
The BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena have been allies in Maharashtra since June last year
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should campaign for the Maharashtra Integration Committee in the May 10 Karnataka assembly elections.
The MES has been waging an agitation for several decades for the merger of 865 “Marathi-speaking” villages in the Belgaum-Karwar belt in Karnataka with Maharashtra and is contesting some seats in the district.
Talking to reporters, Raut said, “I am going to Marathi-speaking areas in Karnataka to seek votes for the Maharashtra Integration Committee. Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis should go to Belgaum and campaign for MES.”
“However, the situation is different as they (BJP) have gone there (Belgaum) to defeat them (MES). Raut claimed that they (BJP) should be ashamed that they have gone to defeat Marathi people.
Raut said that CM Shinde claims that he has participated in the Maharashtra-Karnataka border agitation, and if the latter had indeed done so, he should be in Belgaum campaigning against the MES and the BJP.
The BJP and Shinde’s Shiv Sena have been allies in Maharashtra since June last year.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) is committed to the Marathi-speaking people of Belgaum-Karwar and the (undivided) Shiv Sena had “martyred” 69 workers and the party’s founder Bal Thackeray was jailed for three months on the border line, Rajya Sabha MP Raut Said.
While the Congress is the main opposition party in Karnataka seeking to oust the BJP government led by Basavaraj Bommai, the Nationalist Congress Party has also fielded candidates.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)