'History Seems To Have Repeated Itself': Raut Likens Pawar Decision To That Of Bal Thackeray

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut referred to him as the "soul of Maharashtra politics" and compared his decision to Sena founder Bal Thackeray's 'resignation'.

Raut compares Pawar's decision to resign to Bal Thackeray's "resignation," saying history appears to have repeated itself. ( Image Source :PTI )

As Sharad Pawar announced his resignation as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief on Tuesday (May 2), Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut referred to him as the "soul of Maharashtra politics", and compared his decision to Sena founder Bal Thackeray's 'resignation'.

In a tweet, Raut said: “Fed up by dirty Politics and allegations, Shivsena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray too had resigned as the Shivsena Pramukh. History seems to have repeated itself... But owing to the love of Shivsainiks he had to withdraw his decision...Like Balasaheb , Pawar Saheb too is the soul of the State's politics”. 

Fed up by dirty Politics and allegations , Shivsena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray too had resigned as the Shivsena Pramukh. History seems to have repeated itself... But owing to the love of Shivsainiks he had to withdraw his decision...
Like Balasaheb , Pawar Saheb too is the… pic.twitter.com/A0wq3XcnLU

— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) May 2, 2023

Raut's Shiv Sena (UBT) is a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, which also includes the NCP and the Congress. Pawar announced his resignation as leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the political organisation he founded in 1999, on Tuesday. He made the announcement during the release of a revised edition of his autobiography.

The announcement was met with protests from party workers and leaders who demanded that the octogenarian leader reverse his decision. NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, who was present at the meeting in Mumbai where Pawar announced his decision, said that the state and the country needed "Pawar saheb".

"Everyone insists that Pawar saheb remains as the party's (NCP) chief, and we have urged him to reconsider his decision," he told a Marathi news channel.

READ | Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Jayant Patil: Who Will Succeed Sharad Pawar As NCP Chief?

Pawar, a four-time Maharashtra chief minister who also served as Union Defence and Agriculture minister, was instrumental in bringing together an unlikely coalition of the NCP, Congress, and then the ideologically opposed Shiv Sena to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government following the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.