Shinde desperate to become CM, willing to merge Shiv Sena with BJP: Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday alleged that on Guru Purnima, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“In Delhi, Shinde washed the feet of Guru Amit Shah and received his blessings! Thereafter: Both discussed how to break the Marathi unity that took place in Mumbai! That's all for now,” Raut said on Friday.

He  claimed that Shinde complained about Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during his recent meeting with  Shah in Delhi. "During his meeting with Union Minister Amit Shah, Eknath Shinde complained that Fadnavis was not allowing him to work and initiating inquiry against his party MLAs," said Raut. He further alleged that the Shiv Sena chief told Shah that efforts to intensify Marathi unity would hurt his party and that this movement needs to be weakened.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sheetal Mhatre, however, hit out at the Rajya Sabha MP, saying he has a habit of making such remarks and his partymen don't take him seriously.

Raut was referring to the joint victory rally held by Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray to celebrate the government withdrawing the two controversial GRs to make Hindi "mandatory" and three-language formula for students of Class 1-5.

"Shinde informed Shah that making him the chief minister will be a solution for this. If he (Shinde) becomes the CM, he will put a stop to this and bring stability to Maharashtra politics," he claimed.

He further alleged that when Shah pointed out that the CM has to be from the BJP, Shinde said he was willing to merge the Shiv Sena with the ruling party. "He (Shinde) is so desperate to become the CM that he is ready to merge the party with the BJP," Raut claimed.

This is not the first time that Raut has made such audacious claims about the Shinde-led Shiv Sena or the BJP. In January, Raut claimed Shiv Sena Minister Uday Samant could be the third deputy chief minister of the state, and there was a rift between him and Shinde.

He also claimed that the horns of buffaloes sacrificed in Guwahati during Shinde's visit to the Kamakhya Temple were buried on the premises of the chief minister's residence, 'Varsha', so that the top post does not go to anybody else.

When Shinde became the chief minister in 2022, Raut said the government would not last, but the dispensation survived, and the Mahayuti government rode back to power with an overwhelming majority.