After the untimely demise of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, there has been a rapid development in Maharashtra's politics. As leadership changes occur in the Nationalist Congress Party, Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar has taken the oath as the state's Deputy Chief Minister. This decision has heated the political atmosphere in the state, with accusations and counter-accusations starting between the ruling party and the opposition. Against this backdrop, Shiv Sena Thackeray group's MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut has taken a very aggressive stance. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Sunetra Pawar, Sanjay Raut has directly questioned the BJP and the Prime Minister's role.
While interacting with the media, Sanjay Raut said, “First of all, I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He congratulated Maharashtra's newly appointed Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar. However, Modi has consistently accused the Thackeray and Gandhi families of dynasty politics. Today, by congratulating Sunetra Pawar, he has freed himself from those accusations. Therefore, henceforth, he should not speak on dynasty politics,” Raut remarked.
This time, Sanjay Raut referred to the statements made by Raj Thackeray and also commented on the internal politics within the Nationalist Congress Party. He clarified that Sunetra Pawar becoming the Deputy Chief Minister is an internal decision of their party. “This is Ajit Pawar's party, they have their MLAs. Senior members of the party, including Tatkare and Patel, might have made this decision. However, Ajit Pawar's party is one of hardworking, rural, and rugged workers,” said Raut.
Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar have never compromised with Maharashtra's pride, said Sanjay Raut, expressing further concern. “This party should not come under the influence of Praful Patel. This party belongs to Bhosale, Patil, Mohite, Kamble. It should not become Patel's, and the responsibility for this lies with Sunetra Pawar. The leadership of the party should remain with Marathi faces, otherwise Maharashtra's pride will be in danger,” he warned.
Direct Allegations on BJP
Launching a strong attack on BJP, Sanjay Raut said that BJP can no longer do politics on its own strength. “BJP's chest and shoulders are now worn out. That is why they are using others' shoulders to eliminate loyal individuals, organizations, and parties in Maharashtra. This strategy of BJP is not acceptable to Maharashtra,” he made a serious allegation. Due to all these developments, the leadership change in the Nationalist Congress Party, BJP's role, and the aggressive stance of the opposition, it is being speculated that the politics in the state may heat up further in the coming period.