Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday, made a pointed yet guarded statement, saying that he and a few party leaders would be heading to Taj Lands End for lunch, while urging people not to attach undue suspicion to the meeting.
Speaking to reporters on January 18, Raut said there is a widespread sentiment that Mumbai’s mayor should belong to the Shiv Sena of the Thackeray brothers. He confirmed that discussions have taken place between Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray, and added that he himself had met Raj Thackeray. “There are many developments happening behind the scenes. We were planning to go to Taj Lands End for lunch today. I was supposed to go yesterday, but I was told that the place had effectively turned into a detention zone. Still, don’t suspect us,” Raut remarked, hinting at political churn without elaborating.
Raut asserted that except for Eknath Shinde, no one truly wants Mumbai to have a BJP mayor. He questioned Shinde’s insistence on certain positions and suggested that even if Shinde were to raise the issue with Amit Shah, it was unlikely that Devendra Fadnavis would concede. According to Raut, Shinde fears defections among corporators, sarcastically asking why they were being kept under watch in Mumbai instead of being sent to Surat.
Taking a swipe at the ruling alliance, Raut claimed there was apprehension within the BJP about possible “abductions” of corporators. “How long will they keep them confined? These corporators belong to the Shiv Sena. The BJP should not be allowed to have the mayor,” he said. He further alleged that even those who had sided with Shinde were internally unsettled, adding that original Shiv Sainiks carry strong emotional bonds with the party.
Raut also criticised the BJP for splitting the Shiv Sena but gaining only a marginal numerical advantage. “A majority is always fragile. If things were truly under control, corporators from the Mahayuti would not need to be guarded like this,” he said, mocking frequent foreign trips for investment summits while alleging that real investment never materialises. He questioned whether Shah would allow Fadnavis to become mayor, arguing that the need to hide corporators within their own state reflected a breakdown of law and order.
On alliances, Raut reiterated that despite fewer seats, the elected corporators of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena effectively represent the Thackeray brothers together.
He also congratulated the Congress on its performance but claimed that the party’s decision to contest independently ultimately benefited the BJP.
