Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has claimed that former Shiv Sena chief minister Uddhav Thackeray-led faction will get more than 100 seats if the mid-term elections are held in Maharashtra. “We are confident of winning 100 seats as Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray had said let the mid-term elections be held and everything will be clear. Who will win and who will lose,” Raut told news agency ANI.
Mumbai | As Shiv Sena we are confident of winning 100 seats…Uddhav Thackeray had said let the mid-term elections be held and everything will be clear..Who will win and who will lose: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut pic.twitter.com/Iz044vpRs7— ANI (@ANI) 5 July 2022
Talking to news agency ANI, Raut said that no one can hijack Shiv Sena because it is Balasaheb Thackeray’s party.
‘Shiv Sena Baba Thackeray ki Hai’ cannot be anyone else’s. You can’t hijack it with money. CM Mamta Banerjee has said, not only money but also gave something else. When this ‘something’ comes out it will be a big reveal.”
Mumbai | Shiv Sena belongs to Baba Thackeray. Can’t be anyone else’s. You can’t hijack it with money. CM Mamta Banerjee has said, not only money but also gave something else. When this ‘something’ is exposed, there will be a big reveal: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut pic.twitter.com/sHbqLgkAs4— ANI (@ANI) 5 July 2022
He also expressed confidence that the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, who are currently with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, will return to the parent party very soon.
“We are still hopeful that these MLAs will come back… We were always talking to the rebels. They are our people, will come back,” he said. Sanjay Raut said, ‘If Subha’s forgotten, if she comes home in the evening, then she does not tell her forgotten.’
Mumbai | We are still hopeful that these MLAs will return back… We were always in talks with rebels… They are our people, will come back. ‘Subha ka bhoola agar shaam ko ghar aa jaye to usse bhoola nahi kehte’: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut pic.twitter.com/8GnOsXB7CH— ANI (@ANI) 5 July 2022
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday questioned the legitimacy of the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and said the group cannot claim to be the original army.
Talking to reporters in Delhi, Raut said that these MLAs (of the Shinde group) should ask themselves some questions. He used the party symbol and all the benefits that came with it to win the election and then broke the same party.
“We will definitely fight it in court. Shinde faction left Shiv Sena, then how can they claim that their group is parent party and not Uddhav Thackeray-led. The name Thackeray is synonymous with Shiv Sena.” Rajya Sabha member said.
Raut said Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu had suspended JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav for defying the party’s order not to attend an event. “The program was not even in Parliament, but still they had to face action,” the chief spokesperson of the Shiv Sena claimed.
“However, such a rule does not apply to us when we expect that similar action will be taken against 16 MLAs out of 39 (of Shinde faction). Is it fair,” he asked.
He said that when a decision is given according to the convenience of an individual or a party, it is not a parliamentary democracy.
It may be recalled that the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government in Maharashtra fell after a rebellion by the Eknath Shinde-led group. Later Shinde administered oath to Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as Deputy Chief Minister.
Shinde also won the trust vote in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly by voice vote.