Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday warned Congress about fielding a candidate for the Solapur South assembly seat, for which his party has already announced a nominee. Speaking to reporters, Raut said such actions could provoke a similar response from their side and create "problems" for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). "The Congress, in its new list, has announced its candidate (Dilip Mane) from the Solapur South constituency. This has happened when we have already fielded our candidate (Amar Patil) from the same seat. I consider it a typing mistake by the Congress. Such a mistake could happen from our side as well," he said. "I have heard that local Congress leaders are eager to contest the Miraj assembly constituency, which is part of our seat-sharing formula. If this infection (of fielding candidates against allies) spreads across the state, it will create problems for the MVA," Raut said. The Congress, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP) are part
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut targeted Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday over the stampede at Bandra station here, claiming he was too busy with the bullet train project while passengers in Mumbai were being ignored. Nine persons were injured, including two critically, in a stampede after rush for boarding a Gorakhpur-bound train at the Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on Sunday morning, as per officials. Speaking to reporters here, Raut said, "Mumbai city gives maximum revenue to the Union government. Compared to it, we hardly get any facilities here for passengers." "The railway minister is too involved with the bullet train project and people are left to die because of the poor infrastructure as the railway minister is disconnected with their problems," he claimed. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, aimed at significantly reducing the travel time between the two cities, is currently under-construction. The railway minister is always presented as highly educated and
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday indicated the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies could swap some seats among themselves, a day after the opposition bloc in Maharashtra announced a formula of 85 seats to each of the three major parties. Raut also said there could be "some corrections" in the list of candidates announced by his party on Wednesday. After days of stalemate, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), on Wednesday announced contesting 85 seats each for polls to the 288-member state assembly even as deliberations to seal a final pact were still underway. The three allies were discussing the sharing of the remaining 33 seats among themselves and smaller parties. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday released its first list of 65 candidates for the state assembly polls. "There can be an exchange of seats," Raut on Thursday said, stressing merit and winnability will be the key factors in selecting a candidate. "Ther
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said 99 per cent of work on the Maha Vikas Aghadi's seat-sharing arrangement has been completed and leaders of the three alliance parties are expected to announce the formula later in the day. Talking to reporters, Raut also indicated his party could contest 100 seats. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra assembly are scheduled on November 20 and votes will be counted on November 23. Top leaders of the opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance met here late Tuesday night with indications that the seat-sharing arrangement for the assembly elections has been finalised. The MVA comprises the Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and NCP (SP). After the talks, especially those between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress, hit a roadblock, senior state Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat first met NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Tuesday and then Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray. Later, Thorat and other leaders of the MVA again sat together
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission's Maharashtra poll schedule, which gives only 48 hours for government formation, is the BJP's ploy to ensure the MVA is unable to stake a claim. The current assembly's term ends on November 26. The state will go to polls on November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23. Speaking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP alleged, "The BJP with Amit Shah seems to have accepted that the party would not win the Maharashtra assembly polls. There appears to be a strategy to limit the time available for the Maha Vikas Aghadi to discuss and decide about government formation. If the MVA constituents fail to stake a claim, the governor will recommend the President's Rule for six months." He claimed the BJP was taking proactive steps to keep the MVA from returning to power. "Additionally, the ECI has scheduled the polls in such a way that it restricts the MVA's opportunity to form a government effectively," h
Patole also said that Sanjay Raut was the leader of Uddhav Thackeray and Patole's leaders were Malikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi and the leader of NCP (SCP) was Sharad Pawar
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday said the seat-sharing talks between his party and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) have concluded as these two parties are driven by a desire and mindset to resolve issues. His remark is apparently targeted at the third Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partner Congress again, a day after he expressed disappointment over the delay in the seat-sharing talks in the alliance and accused the Maharashtra Congress leaders of being incapable of making decisions. Talking to reporters, Raut said the current national politics is being driven by regional parties and his party's stand is that they must get space in their respective states. He said Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country with the help of regional parties like Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Janata Dal (United) (JD-U). There is a majority of regional parties in the INDIA bloc, he added. The Rajya Sabha member also said that Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav spoke to Shiv Sena
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday expressed disappointment over the delay in the seat-sharing talks among MVA partners and claimed that Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of making decisions. Talking to reporters, Raut said Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) partners Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have reached a consensus on 200 of the 288 assembly seats. The Rajya Sabha member said he spoke to Congress general secretaries K C Venugopal and Mukul Wasnik and the party's Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Friday morning over seat-sharing. The Sena (UBT) leader said he would also speak to top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi later in the day. The pending decision should be expedited. Very little time is left. Maharashtra Congress leaders are not capable of making decisions. They have to send the list to Delhi frequently and then discussions happen. The decision will have to be taken at the earliest, Raut said. Late on Thursday evening, Maharashtra Congress president
Madhya Pradesh Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut for allegedly making misleading remarks over the state government's flagship Ladli Behna Yojana, an official said. The case was registered this evening by the Bhopal crime branch after a complaint was lodged by BJP's Mahila Morcha district unit president Vandana Jachak and its vice president Sushma Chouhan, Deputy Commissioner of Police Akhil Patel told PTI. Raut has been booked under sections 353 (2) (circulating statements containing false information) and 356 (2) (Defamation) of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS). The complainants accused Raut of deliberately making a misleading statement that the Ladli Behna Yojana had been shut. The statement was aimed at maligning the image of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the FIR stated.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday countered Prime Minister Narendra Modi's accusation that the MVA government stalled the Mumbai Metro 3 line work, saying they were not against development but wanted to save the Aarey forest. Raut also hit back at the PM for claiming that the Congress, a partner in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), wants to contest polls from the money it gets by pushing the youth towards drugs. PM Modi should also talk about drug busts in Gujarat, he said. During his visit to Maharashtra on Saturday, Modi said the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government only knew to stall work. The Mumbai Metro 3 line work was stopped due to ego and taxpayers' money was wasted as the cost of the project escalated by Rs 14,000 crore," he said The MVA, which comprises the Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP), also put hurdles in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and Atal Setu projects and stopped water supply and irrigation schemes in the state, Modi said. Responding to a question ab
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday welcomed the Centre's decision to grant classical language status to Marathi, stressing that it was a result of collective efforts and cannot be credited to a single party or leader. Talking to reporters, Raut said if the BJP-led Union government's motive behind the classical language status was to compensate for its Lok Sabha rout in Maharashtra, its "alms" are not needed, as Marathi is a great language. The Union Cabinet on Thursday accorded the classical language tag to Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali. The move comes ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, likely to be held next month. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said, "Every political leader and chief minister in the last 30 to 35 years worked to get the classical language status for Marathi. It is a great honour. It is due to collective contribution and not because of a single party or any leader." He said political parties had raised the issue in every session of
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday alleged some Enforcement Directorate officials were extorting huge sums of money from people in connivance with BJP leaders and asserted these illegalities will be exposed when his party comes to power. Speaking to reporters, Raut further alleged Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis knows about those indulging in such illegalities. "One Jitu Navlani, who was employed as an agent of the ED, was involved in extorting money. Our MVA government pursued legal action against him. It is believed he had the support of both the ED and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis," Raut alleged. Fadnavis shut down the special investigation team formed by the MVA government to probe this matter after he took over as state home minister (in the Eknath Shinde government in June 2022), Raut claimed. Taking the names of some others, Raut pointed out that a former ED official, Rajeshwar Singh, was now a BJP MLA in Uttar Pradesh. Raut said one Romi Bhaga
Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was sentenced to 15 days in jail for 'defaming' BJP leader Kirit Somaiya's wife, Medha, over allegations of a Rs 100 crore scam. He was later granted bail
The UBT leader also accused the Maharashtra government of attempting to leverage the police encounter for their political gain
A special court here has held there was no illegality in a magistrate's order that refused to discharge Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut in a defamation case filed by former Lok Sabha MP Rahul Shewale. The special judge for cases against MPs and MLAs, A U Kadam, made the observations while dismissing a joint appeal of Thackeray and Raut against the lower court's order. "The magistrate gave cogent reasons for recording a finding that offences are prima facie made out," the special court said in the order on Monday. The copy of the order became available on Tuesday. "...an inference is inevitable that there is no illegality or mistake found to be committed by the trial court," the judge said. Denying the duo's revision application, the special judge directed that the case be sent to the trial (magistrate) court for further proceedings. Shewale, part of the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, has sought action against Thackeray and Raut under Indian ..
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Wednesday alleged conspiracy against Rahul Gandhi and threat to his life, as he condemned the remarks made by BJP-Shiv Sena lawmakers against the Congress leader. Talking to reporters, he also questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the remarks made by the leaders of ruling parties against Gandhi. "People from Delhi, Lucknow and Maharashtra are speaking the same language that he (Gandhi) will meet the same fate as that of his grandmother (Indira Gandhi) as well as his father (Rajiv Gandhi). The Home Minister and Prime Minister are not taking action means they are with the people who make such remarks," Raut said. "We condemn this (the remarks on Gandhi) and also the silence of these two leaders (PM and HM). He is a Leader of Opposition, and has a Cabinet rank. When your party people talk of assaulting him and you (PM and HM) remain quiet. This cannot be tolerated," the Sena (UBT) ...
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said Devendra Fadnavis was not eligible to head the Maharashtra home department, an attack coming a day after the accident involving a luxury car owned by state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule's son. Speaking to reporters here, Raut claimed evidence has been removed in the case and that till BJP leader Fadnavis remains the home minister, there will not be any fair probe in any case in the state. The Audi car owned by Bawankule's son Sanket hit several vehicles in Ramdaspeth area of Nagpur in the early hours of Monday, after which the driver and one more occupant were apprehended by police. The occupants of the luxury car were returning from a beer bar in Dharampeth area when the incident took place, a police official on Monday said adding the medical examination will include blood tests for alcohol detection. "A case of rash driving and other offences was registered. No action has been taken so far against Sanket Bawankule and the other
On Wednesday, Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, who was in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in central Maharashtra, maintained there was no tussle among the MVA allies over the CM post
A statue of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a fort in Maharashtra's coastal Sindhudurg district just eight months ago, collapsed on Monday, an official said, with the chief minister blaming "strong winds" for the cave in. As the incident caused an embarrassment to the state government and invited scathing criticism from the opposition, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde vowed to rebuild the structure, which he said, was designed and constructed by the Indian Navy. Asked about the collapse, Shinde told PTI, "The wind was blowing at a speed of 45km per hour, which caused the statue to fall. It is very unfortunate the statue has fallen as it was designed and built by the Navy. However, our guardian minister (Ravindra Chavan) has arrived at the spot to assess the situation, and we will rebuild this statue even stronger. Navy officials will also take part in the rebuilding efforts." Public Works Department (PWD) personnel will visit