On Wednesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut asserted that lawmakers from the Shiv Sena, under the leadership of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, will not win the next election.
Speaking to reporters here, Raut also claimed that CM Shinde was keen on a foreign tour, while farmers in parts of the state were staring at crop losses due to erratic rainfall. Asked about the possibility that Shinde's side may issue a whip against four Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs for not attending a discussion on the women reservation's bill in Parliament, Raut said, "It is a trivial matter for us that they would issue a whip against four of our Lok Sabha members. They (Shinde group lawmakers) should first know that none of them are going to win the next election, the Rajya Sabha member claimed.
Shinde's rebellion in June of last year split the Shiv Sena and brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state, which was led by Uddhav Thackeray. According to Raut, Shinde planned to travel abroad to woo investors. The CM allegedly changed his plans only in response to Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray's harsh post on X.
Asked about reports of Shinde-led group citing water scarcity and and other issues in the state leading to postponement of his foreign tour, Raut sarcastically said, Did he come to know about all those challenges only after Aaditya tweeted? We should be thankful to CM Shinde for showing such sensitivity. Why did he (CM Shinde) not visit Nagpur, which was literally submerged due to illegal constructions and encroachments. There are farmers likely to lose their crops because of the erratic rains, but Shinde seems to be keen on his foreign tour, the Sena (UBT) leader claimed.