New Delhi: On Saturday, Sanjay Raut, a Member of Parliament from Shiv Sena (UBT), accused former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena figure Eknath Shinde of having previously contemplated joining the Congress party.
Although Raut did not indicate the specific timeframe of Shinde’s consideration, he made a reference to the late Congress leader Ahmed Patel.
“I am aware of the circumstances that were unfolding. Ahmed Patel is no longer with us, and therefore, I prefer not to elaborate further, as he cannot confirm this,” Raut stated, as reported by the news agency PTI. Patel passed away on November 25, 2020.
When pressed for additional comments regarding his assertion, Raut suggested, “Inquire with senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan about it.”
During the Holi festivities, former Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole stirred interest by proposing that Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar (from the NCP) might join the opposition alliance in return for a “rotational chief minister” arrangement.
In response to this, Raut remarked that nothing is beyond the realm of possibility in politics.
“I am at a loss for words. All I can say is that nothing is impossible in politics,” he noted.
Raut further stated that no one could have predicted the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in 2019, the emergence of an “unconstitutional” government in 2022 under Shinde, or that Devendra Fadnavis would secure an absolute majority in 2024.
He claimed that Shinde has no genuine connection to the saffron flag associated with Balasaheb Thackeray.
“Shinde and Ajit Pawar, who separated from the Nationalist Congress Party in 2023, are merely representing the BJP’s interests,” asserted the Shiv Sena MP.
