NAGPUR, Jan 11: On Saturday, Sanjay Raut, a leader of Shiv Sena (UBT), announced that his party will participate independently in the forthcoming local body elections. Speaking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP clarified that the INDIA bloc and Maha Vikas Aghadi alliances are primarily intended for Lok Sabha and assembly elections. He stated, “In alliances, individual party workers often miss opportunities, which can hinder our organizational growth. We will rely on our own strength to contest polls for municipal corporations in Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur, and other areas, as well as zilla parishads and panchayats.” Raut mentioned that party chief Uddhav Thackeray has indicated a preference for going solo.
Criticizing Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar for engaging in blame-shifting regarding the MVA’s performance in the state assembly, Raut asserted that those lacking in consensus and compromise skills should not hold positions in alliances. He further noted that the INDIA bloc has not convened a single meeting since the last Lok Sabha elections. “We haven’t even been able to appoint a convenor for the INDIA bloc, which is concerning. As the largest party in the alliance, it was the Congress’s duty to organize a meeting,” he said.
Responding to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s suggestion that he has never discussed farm loan waivers in his speeches, Raut remarked, “Regardless of his statements, the BJP’s election manifesto explicitly mentions the need for farm loan waivers and the provision of Rs 2,100 for Laadki Bahin beneficiaries. These promises must be fulfilled. As the finance minister under the BJP government, he is accountable for this.”
When asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments in his first podcast, where he referred to himself as human and capable of mistakes, Raut contended, “He (Modi) is viewed as godlike. I do not perceive him as merely human. If he is regarded as an incarnation of god, how could he be just a human? He is considered the 13th avatar of Vishnu. If someone deemed as divine claims to be human, something is amiss—it suggests a certain disconnect.” (PTI)
