Sanjay Raut Reacts to Pawar Reunion Buzz: “They Are Together...

As speculation intensifies over a potential reunion between Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar and his nephew, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has responded sharply, emphasizing a clear ideological divide and reiterating his party's position on alliances.

The buzz around the Pawar family's political rapprochement has gained momentum after Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar were seen together at a Rayat Education Society event. This development follows recent chatter about a possible reconciliation between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, adding to a growing narrative of political realignment in Maharashtra.

Reacting to these developments, Sanjay Raut made a scathing statement. “Yesterday, Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar were together at the Rayat Education Institute meeting. They are together, aren’t they? But are they like us?” he asked rhetorically.

Drawing a line in the sand, Raut added, “We will never join hands with those who broke our party, toppled our government, misused money and power, and betrayed Maharashtra. That is our self-respecting stance. Whatever has to happen, will happen.”

He emphasized that the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, has taken a principled stand. “We don’t have sugar factories or educational institutions to worry about. Whatever we had, the ED has already taken. But we are still standing strong. We are here to fight this trend. Our workers don’t ask what to do. They tell us—‘we don’t want to go [with them].’”

Raut also confirmed that Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray will share a stage on May 17, signaling ongoing collaboration between their factions despite growing uncertainty around the internal dynamics of the NCP.

Clarifying his position on Sharad Pawar, Raut said, “We have no complaints about Sharad Pawar. But this is no longer Ajit Pawar's party—it’s Amit Shah's party. Just like Eknath Shinde’s party is also Amit Shah’s party. We will never work under his leadership. If it comes to that, we will step away from politics.”

He concluded with a pointed question: “Will Supriya Sule work under Amit Shah's leadership? Will Sharad Pawar accept that? We are not one of them. Let them form alliances—it's not our business.”