Sanjay Raut – the chief spokesperson of Shiv Sena since September last year has been handed over a demotion of sorts, as MP Arvind Sawant, said to be close to the Thackerays, was made chief spokesperson of the party alongside Raut by CM Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday. On the surface, the elevation of controversial MP Arvind Sawant seems perfectly fine, with the Sena rewarding the man for his loyalty and rowdy behaviour on flights and inside parliament. Yet, sources indicate that Sawant’s elevation has been made to keep a check on Sanjay Raut, who of late, has begun having rather free and unfettered opinions about all that is happening in Maharashtra and within the Maha Vikas Aghadi.
According to the Indian Express, the Shiv Sena believes that Raut went beyond his brief when he put out a tweet denying a secret meeting between Pawar and Amit Shah in Ahmedabad. Also, his criticism of the government over the Ambani terror scare case, former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh’s allegations and subsequent political developments seemed to be aimed at Uddhav, and it was not right, a leader said. However, the move primarily seems to have been made after Sanjay Raut angered the NCP and its supremo Sharad Pawar.
In his recent column ‘Rokhtokh’ published in Sena mouthpiece Saamana, Sanjay Raut went on to call Anil Deshmukh an “Accidental Home Minister”, who was given the post because no other senior NCP leader was willing to take the responsibility. “Jayant Patil and Dilip Walse-Patil refused to take responsibility. That is why Sharad Pawar selected Anil Deshmukh for the post,” Raut wrote in his weekly column. Such remarks have apparently not gone down well with Sharad Pawar, who seems to have played a big role in ensuring that the Shiv Sena starts bringing Raut to the ground.
Arvind Sawant’s appointment as chief party spokesperson comes right after the NCP was irked with Raut’s remarks. Even though Raut has been advocating for quite some time now that Sharad Pawar must be made the UPA chief, by calling Anil Deshmukh an “accidental home minister”. Raut seems to have stretched his luck way too much. Sanjay Raut has invited too much trouble upon himself by speaking in contrast to his party line on multiple issues. Now, he must be prepared to bear the consequences of the same.
Once again, the Raut episode has shown how Sharad Pawar continues to hold on to the reins of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, even as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray runs from pillar to post trying to save ‘his’ government from the many disasters it has come to face of late.
