Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claims PM Narendra Modi 'lacks mandate'

Sanjay Raut and Narendra Modi. Pics/Ashish Raje, AFP

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who arrived in Delhi to attend the scheduled meeting of the INDIA bloc on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his party don't have the majority and want to give an unstable government.

Raut also claimed that the INDIA bloc has the mandate and number as well.

"Where does BJP have the majority? They are stuck on 237-240. I believe that Modi ji and BJP don't have the majority. They want to give an unstable government. It is not Modi ji's work to run such a government. He used to talk about Modi ki sarkar, modi ki guarantee...If they try to form a government, it will not stay. We have the mandate and the number."

As BJP does not have a clear mandate it will have to rely on its collation partners TDP and JD(U), so taking a jibe over this Sanjay Raut gave indication of having negotiation talks with BJP's allies like JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar, TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and Chirag Paswan.

"Who is there in the NDA, Nitish Babu, Chandra Babu, two 'babus' are there. There is Chirag babu...'Dekh lenge'. The people have taken away BJP's majority and made them stand at 232. They are trying to form a 'Jod-tod wali sarkaar'. Let them do it, such efforts are made in a democracy. Let them go (take oath), if they have numbers, then they will go. We will keep seeing, we are getting entertained, why will we leave our entertainment?..."

However, both Naidu and Nitish have affirmed their support for the NDA government but speculations are also continuing that the INDIA bloc is trying to woo some of the NDA allies to spring a surprise.

According to the Election Commission of India, the BJP won 240 seats, much lower than its 2019 tally of 303. The Congress, on the other hand, registered a strong growth, winning 99 seats.

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