Kalyan: Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut has slammed the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) support to the Shinde faction in Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), terming it “betrayal.”
Raut’s statement comes after Shinde faction MP Shrikant Shinde officially announced that the MNS and Shiv Sena (Shinde) would now share power in the corporation.
While local MNS leaders have welcomed the alliance, the move has sparked a fierce backlash from the Uddhav Thackeray camp, with MP Sanjay Raut labelling the development “deeply concerning.”
Speaking to the press, Sanjay Raut maintained a hardline stance against the alliance, emphasising that those who “betrayed” Balasaheb Thackeray and Maharashtra should not be entertained.
“Our position is clear and bitter. We will not maintain any political or personal relations with those who committed treachery against Maharashtra and Balasaheb. We must not take any stance that helps the traitors of the state,” Raut stated.
Addressing the local MNS leadership’s claim that this was a “local-level decision,” Raut demanded accountability from MNS chief Raj Thackeray. He argued that if local leaders act against the core ideology of a party, the central leadership must take disciplinary action.
Raut drew a parallel with previous instances of political cross-overs, noting that when Congress corporators in Ambernath allied with the BJP, they faced consequences.
Raut urged Raj Thackeray to act against the corporators, questioning how leaders could stand by while their members “jumped like frogs” to join the Shinde faction.
Responding to comments from the Shinde camp, Raut remarked, “For us and for Maharashtra, the Shinde group is the equivalent of the MIM. Anyone joining them is a traitor to Maharashtra.”
Raut revealed that Uddhav Thackeray is viewing the KDMC developments with extreme seriousness.
Characterising the frequent shifts in loyalty for the sake of power, Raut described such politicians as “mentally ill,” claiming they hide behind the excuse of “development” to mask their opportunism.
The alliance in Kalyan-Dombivli marks a shift in local equations, especially as the Shinde faction continues to consolidate power by drawing in smaller parties and independent corporators.
While MNS leaders at the local level appear satisfied with the power-sharing deal, the harsh criticism from the Shiv Sena (UBT) suggests that this “twist” will further deepen the rift between the warring factions of the Sena and their respective allies.
(IANS)
