LS Polls: Raut Alleges Modi, Shah, Fadnavis Worked To Defeat Gadkari In Nagpur, BJP Rubbishes Claim
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut accused Fadnavis of reluctantly campaigning for Gadkari in Nagpur after realising that the Union minister couldn't be defeated.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut claimed on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah, and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis worked for the defeat of Nitin Gadkari in the Lok Sabha elections. This allegation has drawn a strong response from the BJP, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Congress's Nagpur candidate. Raut alleged that Fadnavis reluctantly campaigned for Gadkari in Nagpur after realising that the Union minister couldn't be defeated. Both Gadkari and Fadnavis are from Nagpur.
Raut also accused Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde of distributing Rs 25-30 crore per constituency to defeat NCP candidates led by Ajit Pawar. He mocked Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, speculating his replacement if the Modi-Shah government retained power after the elections, as reported by PTI.
State BJP chief Chandrasekhar Bawankule dismissed Raut's claims as delusional. "The BJP is not a party but a family. People who have always played politics of factionalism will never understand family bonds. Modi, Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Gadkari, and Fadnavis are part of the BJP's family. We always work on the principle of nation first, then party and last self," he said.
He stated that, for Raut, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar always comes first, and his interests and Uddhav Thackeray come last. "If Raut has the courage, he should write a column about how he tried to become the chief minister in 2019 (when the undivided Shiv Sena joined hands with the NCP and Congress)," Bawankule remarked, as per PTI.
Lashing out at Raut, CM Eknath Shinde said, "Why did he take so many days to level these allegations? We all are part of NDA." "I am busy with nulla cleaning drive in Mumbai. Those who siphoned off huge sums in the name of road repair work and cleaning should not try to school us. I know what they (undivided Shiv Sena-controlled BMC) did under the garb of undertaking various works in Mumbai," Shinde said.
Sanjay Raut Should Keep His Love For Gadkari Behind Walls Of His Home: Congress Nagpur Candidate Vikas Thakre
Congress' Nagpur candidate, Vikas Thakre remarked that Raut had previously praised Gadkari and had stated in his article that the BJP leader would win the Lok Sabha elections, which is why Fadnavis had supported him. "How does he (Raut) know that Gadkari ji is winning the election? Is he an astrologer? When he is a part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), he should keep his love for Gadkari behind the walls of his home," Thakre said, PTI reported.
the Sena (UBT) leader is causing losses to MVA by writing openly in favour of Gadkari, he also said. "I feel that a senior leader of the MVA writing such things in a newspaper is not the dharma of the alliance. He should be talking in support of MVA candidates," Thakre expressed.
Whatever issues Raut has with the BJP, he should directly reveal the name of the party. It was improper of him to claim that the BJP leaders had supported the MVA candidate in Nagpur, he added.
"We have been fighting against the BJP for many years, and we don't need a certificate from Raut ji. He should have understood the situation in Nagpur before writing the article. As an MVA leader, he should not have given such statements," Thakre added further.
Elections to the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra were contested in five phases from April 19 to May 20.
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