Sanjay Raut's 'merge with Congress' call angers UBT MLAs: Jadhav

Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav claims Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs are angered by Sanjay Raut's call for regional parties to merge with Congress, fueling rebellion buzz. Other leaders also slammed Raut and accused Uddhav Thackeray of adopting Congress ideology.

Raut's Congress Merger Call Sparks Anger in UBT Sena

Amid the rebellion buzz in Shiv Sena (UBT), Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav claimed that the UBT Sena legislators were "angered" after their party's senior leader Sanjay Raut gave a call for regional parties to merge with Congress. "Uddhav Thackeray faction's spokesperson, Sanjay Raut, himself said that all regional parties should join the national party. This statement angered the MLA, municipal councillor, and MP of UBT as they feared that they might be taken to Congress," Jadhav, a Shiv Sena leader, told ANI.

"This is our (Shiv Sena) foundation day. What have we done in the past years, and what will we do in the future? Earlier, our leader, Balasaheb (Thackeray), used to talk about this. Today, Eknath Shinde said that Maharashtra has to be developed. He talked about NDA, Mahayuti," he added.

Shinde Faction Leaders Slam Thackeray, Raut

Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Gulabrao Patil accused Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray of "accepting Congress' ideology". "Everyone knows that the day he formed an alliance with the Congress, he accepted its ideology. The day you became the Chief Minister, the Congress was with you. We did not say that your party will merge with the Congress; everyone knows who said this. You should think about saving your party," Patil said.

Further, Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat slammed Sanjay Raut for praising Congress. "The kind of language the UBT faction spokesperson is using about the Congress for giving the country independence, the way they have praised the Congress. If their leaders don't understand these things, it's their misfortune. We won't talk about this... In 2019, they formed an alliance with the Congress, which Balasaheb never wanted," Shirsat said.

Thackeray Rejects Merger Buzz, Attacks BJP

As this happened, Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he would step down from his position if the allegations levelled against him were proven true, but asserted that he would never allow the Shiv Sena to be handed over to "any thief". Addressing party workers on the occasion of the Shiv Sena's 60th foundation day, Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, rejected speculation about a merger of the Shiv Sena (UBT) with the Congress, and accused the BJP of weakening people's faith in democracy through its style of politics.

'Operation Tiger' Gains Momentum Amid Deepening Rift

The buzz surrounding "Operation Tiger" gained significant momentum after Shiv Sena MLC Chandrakant Raghuvanshi claimed that six MPs from UBT Sena have expressed confidence in Eknath Shinde and have already joined his faction.

The political landscape in Maharashtra is reeling under the tremors of a potential second split within the Shiv Sena, as the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) faction grapples with a deepening internal rift. (ANI)

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