Sanjay Raut says Eknath Shinde's call for BJP alliance came out of nowhere

Maharashtra political crisis: Sanjay Raut said talks are being held. “We are prepared to face any situation and we are trying to fight it out,” he added.

Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday hit out at his sulking party colleague Eknath Shinde who plunged the ruling alliance in Maharashtra into a political crisis after landing at a Surat hotel along with some Sena MLAs.

File photo of Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde.  (HT Photo)

Raut said Shinde's latest stand about an alliance with the BJP came out of nowhere today. According to reports, Shinde spoke to Sena supremo and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray over the phone and insisted on renewing the decades-old alliance with the BJP.

“Party MLAs Milind Narvekar and Ravindra Phatak went to Surat to meet him. Shiv Sena is a party that does not work when conditions are put. The alliance of 25 years had to be cut off due to certain reasons. Everyone, including Eknath Shinde, is aware why the Shiv Sena split with the BJP.”

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“How the Shiv Sena was insulted at every step. We are trying to hold talks. We are prepared to face any situation and we are trying to fight it out,” Raut said.

Hours ago, Shinde also wrote a tweet saying that he remained a staunch Shiv Sainik and would not betray the party founder Balasaheb Thackeray's ideals for power. "We are Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sainiks. Balasaheb has taught us Hindutva. We have never, and will never betray, the ideals of Balasaheb and teachings of Dharmveer Anand Dighe for the sake of power," Shinde wrote in Twitter.

Meanwhile, Shinde has been removed from all party posts.

Earlier in the day, Raut said Shinde is a party colleague and if there are any misunderstandings, that can be resolved. “We have asked him to come to Mumbai and hold discussion.”

He had also said that the MLAs who have gone with Shinde to Surat are being kept under the watch of the Gujarat Police. “Some of the MLAs have said that their lives are in danger. The Shiv Sena is strong organization and will sail through this as well.” Families of nine legislators have complained to police in this regard, he added.

“Nobody wants a by-election. Legislators have told us they are not for any bypoll,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Veteran politician and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar is set to meet Thackeray soon. The Sena and BJP had cut ties in 2019 over power-sharing issues, following which the former allied with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state.