Eknath Shinde wanted to join Congress in the past, claims Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmaker Sanjay Raut speaks to reporters in Mumbai, on Saturday. Pic/X

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) Member of Parliament (MP) Sanjay Raut claimed on Saturday that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister (CM) and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde had wanted to join the Congress in the past.

According to news agency PTI, while Raut did not specify the year or month when Shinde, who split the undivided Shiv Sena in June 2022, allegedly considered switching parties, he made a reference to the late Congress leader Ahmed Patel.

"I know what all was going on. Ahmed Patel is not around now, and hence I don't want to say anything more because he is not there to substantiate this," Raut told reporters.

Patel passed away on November 25, 2020.

When the reporters pressed for more details, Raut added, "Ask (senior Congress leader and ex-CM) Prithviraj Chavan about it."

However, Chavan declined to comment when contacted by PTI.

Meanwhile, Shinde was not immediately available for his response on Raut's claims.

Earlier, former Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole had stirred controversy during the Holi celebrations when he "offered" Shinde and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar the chance to join the opposition alliance with the promise of a "rotational post of the chief minister".

When asked for his reaction on this, Raut said, "I am speechless. The only thing I can say is that nothing is impossible in politics."

Raut also remarked that no one had expected the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in 2019, or the "unconstitutional" government under Shinde in 2022, or for Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Devendra Fadnavis to secure an absolute majority in 2024.

According to PTI, the Rajya Sabha lawmaker further alleged that Shinde had no connection to the saffron flag of Sena founder, the late Balasaheb Thackeray.

"Shinde and Ajit Pawar (who split from NCP in 2023) are carrying the flags of BJP," Raut remarked.

If everyone joins the ruling party, the democratic system will lose balance: Amit Deshmukh

An NCP legislator from Latur recently urged Congress Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Amit Deshmukh to switch sides to continue his initiatives in the district as a minister. Deshmukh, however, responded by emphasising that balance was essential in a democratic system.

Deshmukh made his remarks during the inauguration of the four-day Latur International Film Festival on Friday evening. The event, organised by the Vilasrao Deshmukh Foundation in collaboration with the Pune Film Foundation and the Maharashtra government, was attended by various dignitaries.

During the event, Vikram Kale, a Member of Legislative Council (MLC) from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, jokingly urged Deshmukh to join the ruling side and continue his work as a minister.

Deshmukh responded, "If everyone joins the ruling party, the democratic system will lose balance. And that is something none of us can afford. Therefore, we will stay where we are and continue to play our role in the opposition. If many people perceive that the ruling party is gaining strength, they might shift sides, but we are ready to maintain our stance and stay true to our principles."

State Minister Babasaheb Patil, speaking at the event, assured that efforts would be made to sustain the pace of development in Latur while also preserving and promoting the district's cultural, educational, and sports legacy, setting aside political affiliations.

The state cooperation minister added that the legacy of former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and other prominent leaders had guided Latur's progress.

(With PTI inputs)