Eknath Shinde wanted to join Congress, says Sanjay Raut
The Hindu
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claims Deputy CM Eknath Shinde wanted to join Congress, sparking political controversy.
Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday (March 15, 2025) said that Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had in the past wanted to join the Congress party.
Without specifying the timeline, Mr. Raut at a press conference in Mumbai, claimed that Mr. Shinde had connected with Ahmed Patel, the late Congress leader and political secretary to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Patel passed away on November 25, 2020.
“I am quite aware of everything that was happening back then. I am refraining from spilling more details because Ahmed Patel is no more among us today to substantiate this. You can ask the senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan about it,” Mr. Raut said.
Mr. Shinde’s close aide and Thane MP Naresh Mhaske rubbished Mr. Raut’s claim. “It looks like yesterday’s (Holi) bhang (intoxicant) hangover has not subsided for Sanjay Raut because he seems to make such baseless claims every day. Even Prithviraj Chavan has denied that Mr. Shinde was going to join the Congress,” Mr. Mhaske said.
If Mr. Raut had been aware that Mr. Shinde intended to join the Congress, why was Mr. Shinde made the Urban Development Minister in the then Uddhav Thackeray government, Mr. Mhaske asked. “Is Uddhav Thackray afraid after losing the [Maharashtra Assembly] election, so he and his team leaders are making desperate attempts to be relevant?” he said.
“They (Shiv Sena-UBT leaders) are afraid of seeing Mr. Shinde’s popularity and his good work,” Mr. Mhaske added.
At a Holi celebration on Friday, former Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole caused a flutter with his offer to Deputy Chief Ministers Mr. Shinde and Ajit Pawar to join the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Opposition alliance, promising rotational stints of the Chief Minister’s post, and adding, “Anything is possible in politics.”
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