Sanjay Raut Criticizes Shinde; Claims He’ll Never Return As CM

On Thursday, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took a dig at outgoing Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after the MahaYuti alliance chose Devendra Fadnavis as the new Chief Minister.

Raut declared that the ‘Shinde era is over’ and further claimed Shinde would never hold the CM post again.

Raut’s remarks came after the BJP-led alliance picked Fadnavis as the next CM, offering Shinde the position of Deputy Chief Minister following their decisive victory in Maharashtra.

Raut suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had ‘used’ Shinde and now sidelined him.

Raut stated, “Shinde era is over, it was just for two years. His usage is now over and he has been tossed aside. Shinde will never be the CM of this state again. They (BJP) can even break Shinde’s party, this has always been BJP’s line in politics. They break and finish the party of those who work with them.”

Raut Questions MahaYuti’s Internal Struggles Over CM Delay

Raut also raised concerns over the delay in announcing the new CM despite the alliance’s clear majority.

He implied internal issues within the MahaYuti alliance, asserting, “Devendra Fadnavis will be the CM of the state from today. He has the majority but despite that, they were unable to form the Government for 15 days – it means that there is something wrong within their party or Mahayuti. This issue will start showing from tomorrow.”

Fadnavis will be sworn in as Chief Minister today at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, with NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde also taking oath as Deputy Chief Ministers in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The announcement follows days of speculation and political maneuvering, with Shinde initially vying for the top post.

However, the BJP held firm on their choice, and Shinde later expressed his support for Fadnavis’ selection.

The 2024 Maharashtra Assembly Elections saw a decisive win for the BJP-led MahaYuti alliance, which secured 235 of the 288 seats. The BJP emerged as the largest party with 132 seats, while Shiv Sena and NCP gained 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

In contrast, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance suffered a significant blow, with Congress winning only 16 seats, Shiv Sena (UBT) securing 20, and the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) only 10.

Also Read: Eknath Shinde Congratulates CM-Designate Fadnavis Ahead Of Swearing-In