Sanjay Raut accuses Modi and Shah of betraying Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena

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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has publicly accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of betraying the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and selling out the original Shiv Sena to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Raut's remarks come as political tensions heighten in Maharashtra in the run-up to the state assembly elections, where the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance is vying for dominance against the BJP. According to ANI, Raut is confident in MVA's strength, predicting a victory of 160-170 seats in the assembly polls.

Responding to comments made by Shah during a recent rally, Raut criticised both Modi and Shah, stating they had once praised Balasaheb Thackeray but later betrayed his vision by allegedly "selling" Shiv Sena to Shinde. "You praised him a lot once. But Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. First, you bought it, and then you sold it to Shinde," Raut remarked. He added that Eknath Shinde, who broke away from the Shiv Sena, lacked a historical connection to the party's formation, which, according to Raut, only made the betrayal deeper.

Raut also discredited BJP's electoral surveys, asserting they could not be trusted, referencing surveys predicting high wins for the BJP during past Lok Sabha elections. "The surveys coming in now shouldn't be trusted. During the Lok Sabha polls, a survey claimed BJP would secure over 400 seats, and now, similar narratives are being built," Raut said, according to ANI. He expressed confidence that MVA would secure a strong majority with 160-170 seats.

This response was spurred by Shah's remarks earlier in the day, where he challenged Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray to ask Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to praise freedom fighter Veer Savarkar and Balasaheb Thackeray. Shah, according to ANI, suggested that the people of Maharashtra should be aware of the ideological contradictions within the MVA alliance, particularly pointing to the alliance's ties with Congress, which has historically held differing views on Savarkar and the founding ethos of Shiv Sena.

Addressing these ideological tensions, Shah claimed, "I want to ask Uddhav Thackeray from this stage - can he ask Rahul Gandhi to say something positive about Veer Savarkar? Can any Congress leader honour Balasaheb Thackeray's legacy?" Shah's remarks underscored his view that the alliance between Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP reflected ideological compromises that could ultimately alienate their traditional voter base.

In his address, Shah also accused Thackeray of aligning with leaders and parties who had previously opposed policies like the abrogation of Article 370 and the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Furthermore, he criticised the MVA's association with parties that have opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), issues that have been central to BJP's agenda. Shah's statements echoed the BJP's ongoing critique of the MVA as a coalition of conflicting ideologies, unified more by political convenience than a shared vision.

As per ANI, the escalating exchange between BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) reflects the deepening rivalry between the two parties, which once shared an alliance and a mutual vision rooted in Hindutva. However, since the split, the factions have consistently clashed over who holds the true legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and represents Shiv Sena's original ethos.

With Maharashtra's assembly elections on the horizon, the MVA-BJP rivalry appears poised to be a defining factor, with both sides drawing on emotional and ideological appeals to sway voters. Raut's confidence in MVA's seat count and Shah's strategic questioning of Shiv Sena (UBT)'s ideological consistency signal a spirited contest, with each side looking to consolidate support among Maharashtra's electorate.

(With inputs from ANI)