Sanjay Raut, Member of Parliament from Shiv Sena (UBT), made bold assertions, suggesting that lawmakers from the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, will not succeed in the upcoming elections. Raut addressed reporters and also drew attention to CM Shinde’s expressed interest in an overseas trip, contrasting it with the plight of farmers facing potential crop losses due to erratic rainfall in parts of the state.
Raut responded to inquiries about the possibility of Shinde’s faction issuing a whip against four Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs who did not attend a discussion on the women’s reservation bill in Parliament. He dismissed the issue, stating, “It is a trivial matter for us that they would issue a whip against four of our Lok Sabha members.” Raut went further, asserting, “They (Shinde group lawmakers) should first know that none of them are going to win the next election,” emphasizing a significant lack of confidence in their electoral prospects.
In the past, a revolt led by Eknath Shinde in June last year resulted in a schism within the Shiv Sena and the eventual collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, led by Uddhav Thackeray, in the state.
Raut also mentioned that Shinde had plans for an international visit aimed at attracting investments. He alleged that the Chief Minister had initially scheduled a foreign tour but subsequently canceled it due to a critical post on social media by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray. The overseas trip, which was intended to include visits to the United Kingdom and Germany from October 1 to 8, has been postponed, according to a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
Responding to reports that Shinde’s group had cited water scarcity and other state-related issues as reasons for postponing the foreign tour, Raut delivered a sarcastic comment, asking whether the Chief Minister had only become aware of these challenges after Aaditya’s tweet.
He then questioned why Shinde had not visited Nagpur, which faced severe flooding due to illegal constructions and encroachments. Raut implied that while farmers were grappling with potential crop losses due to unpredictable rains, Shinde seemed more enthusiastic about his overseas excursion, underscoring a perceived lack of prioritization for local issues.
