Raut added that Bal Thackeray had shown the path of 'Hindutva' to the party and the country. "Shiv Sena had promised its own CM to him (Bal Thackeray), and you will see that dream being realised soon," Raut said.
Signalling a formal split, the Sena did not attend a crucial NDA meet on Sunday, while the party's MPs in the Parliament have been given a new seating arrangement with the Opposition for the winter session starting Monday.
Maharashtra caretaker chief minister Devendra Fadnavis paid rich tributes to Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on his 7th death anniversary on Sunday, at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. However, some workers of the Shiv Sena, heckled the former CM by shouting in Marathi Fadnavis' assembly poll campaign slogan: 'I will be back (as CM)' along with the Sena's traditional 'Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj ki jai' war cry.
Besides, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar also paid homage to Bal Thackeray, saying he gave political voice to Marathi Manoos.
Following weeks of bitter political drama, the Sena is currently in the process of forming a non-BJP government with support from Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.
As the deliberation on Maharashtra government formation is on last leg, all eyes are on the final meet of Sharad Pawar with Sonia Gandhi. Sharad Pawar is scheduled to meet Congress emissaries named by Sonia Gandhi on Monday in New Delhi.
(With IANS Inputs)