Meeting between Sanjay Raut and Fadnavis upsets Congress, NCP

The two-hour meeting between Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and former Maharashtra chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has upset both the Congress and the NCP, which are in the ruling alliance in the state.

 The clarification given by Sanjay Raut about his meeting with the leader of Shiv Sena’s former ally this interaction has not placated the two alliance partners. 

The Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had met Fadnavis on Sunday leading to speculation that something is cooking. Raut later explained that Fadnavis is a former chief minister of Maharashtra and it is not a crime to meet. He also added that he met him to discuss certain issues. 

But the Congress and NCP leaders are not convinced and are understood to be displeased with this development. 

Maharashtra Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat and NCP chief Sharad Pawar visited Uddhav Thackeray’s home- ‘Matoshree’ to discuss the same with the chief minister. Both Fadnavis and Raut have stated that the meeting was ‘non-political’ and pertained to an ‘interview’.

 On Saturday, the exMaharashtra CM met with the Shiv Sena MP at a luxury hotel in Mumbai and held a 2-hour meeting. BJP Maharashtra spokesperson Keshav Upadhye clarified that the meeting was for Fadnavis’ tentative interview for Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana with Raut, post- Bihar polls.

 He said that while the interview has been fixed, Fadnavis has told Raut to air the interview unedited, reportedly insisting on his camera to be present. Fadnavis will be the second non-Shiv Sena leader which Saamana will be interviewing after NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar. 

Even congress leader Sanjay Nirupama also objected to this meeting. Nirupam said Shiv Sena is not a reliable partner. Sena was in favour of the farmer bills in Lok sabha and opposed the bills in RS they did the same on the CAA.