Mumbai: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut is trying to display a stiff upper lip and it is showing. The face and the voice of the Sena during the power-sharing tussle with its former ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Sena MP had kept the BJP on its toes with his blistering social media posts in the prolonged run-up until the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state on November 28, with the Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at its helm.
Raut is also the executive editor of the Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, which, in its editorial on Tuesday stated, true Shiv Sainiks were not given any ministerial berths in the newly formed government. He was conspicuous by his absence at the swearing-in ceremony of cabinet ministers and ministers of state on Monday, as reportedly, he was upset over the Maharashtra cabinet expansion.
However, on Wednesday, the senior leader rejected claims that he was miffed with the recent cabinet expansion, in which his brother and two-time MLA from Vikhroli, Sunil Raut, was not given any ministerial berth.
“I am not disheartened with the cabinet expansion. My brother had never asked for a ministerial berth, these are rumours being spread about us. We look forward to contributing to the party and do not aspire for any position. No matter what, we will always be loyal to the Thackerays,” said Raut, addressing the media on Wednesday.
However earlier in the day, Raut had shared an emotional post on his Facebook timeline stating, “Humesha aise vyakti ko sambhal ke rakhiye, jisne aapko ye teen bhent di ho - saath, samay aur samarpan... (Always take care of the person who is always there for you, has given you his time and dedication)".
Raut, who played a pivotal role in forging the alliance with Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was also kept away from the process of cabinet expansion.
He was the first person to officially announce that with a Sena CM, there would be a new sunrise on the sixth floor of the Mantralaya (where the chief minister's office is situated).
Speaking to The Free Press Journal, a senior Sena leader and former cabinet minister informed, the fact that Independents have been given ministerial berths while senior leaders were shown the door has miffed a number of senior Sainiks.
Earlier, speaking to the FPJ, Sena legislator and former minister Diwakar Raote had also asserted, senior leaders who had been given any cabinet position, should not be taken for granted.
Meanwhile, a Sena functionary explained, the reason why leaders like Sunil Raut had been kept out is because the Sena high command has mainly concentrated on accommodating leaders from the rural parts of Maharashtra, where the saffron party is trying to widen its base to match up to its allies, the Congress and NCP.
“Only Anil Parab and Aaditya Thackeray are Sena leaders from Mumbai, who have been given ministerial berths. The remaining Sena ministers are all from outside Mumbai. This was a calculated risk taken by the high command to ensure that the Sena is able to able to establish a firm base in Maharashtra,” said the Sena functionary.
