Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut has made significant claims regarding potential political shifts, suggesting Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis might move to the Centre, paving the way for a new BJP chief minister in the state. Raut also announced a 'Ram Raksha Andolan' protest in Nagpur against alleged embezzlement at the Ayodhya Ram temple and commented on delimitation and activist Sonam Wangchuk's hunger strike.
Shiv Sena-UBT leader Sanjay Raut has made explosive claims of a Rs 25 crore deal for dissident MPs who miss out on Union ministerial berths, highlighting growing rifts within Maharashtra's political landscape. Six Sena-UBT MPs are expected to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, with Aaditya Thackeray calling them 'shameless, ungrateful and corrupt'.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has alleged that some Maharashtra MPs are being offered 'Rs 50 crore' to switch sides, amid intense speculation of an imminent split within the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. Raut challenged any dissidents to resign their parliamentary seats before defecting.
A special court in Mumbai on Monday extended Shiv Sena member of Parliament Sanjay Raut's judicial custody by another 14 days in a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the redevelopment of a Mumbai 'chawl'.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has stated that his party wants to go solo in the upcoming local body elections to strengthen its base. This statement has raised questions about the unity of the opposition INDIA bloc and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which includes Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP). Raut clarified that the party has not called for the dissolution of either bloc and that the local body elections are an opportunity to empower party workers at the grassroots level. He also criticized Congress leaders for reacting to his comments without hearing the full context.
Six of the nine Shiv Sena-UBT Lok Sabha MPs skipped a crucial parliamentary meeting, signalling a likely split and potential merger with the Eknath Shinde-led faction, which could trigger disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law.
Speculation is rife about a potential rebellion among MPs of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), with ruling Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik hinting at welcoming dissidents. Despite a Sena (UBT) MP meeting a rival minister and several skipping a party meeting, senior leaders Sanjay Raut and Anil Desai have dismissed the defection rumours, asserting the unity of their parliamentarians.
Five Shiv Sena workers, including brother of Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut, were arrested on Monday in connection with a case of theft and house breaking after the Bombay high court rapped the police for not initiating any action in pursuance to the matter.
The Rajya Sabha MP has been asked to depose before the federal agency at its office in south Mumbai on June 28 and record his statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Maharashtra BJP minister Chandrakant Patil claimed Delhi Police are collecting fingerprints from stones used in the CJP agitation and linking them to Aadhaar numbers for protester identification and background checks. This statement, made in Kolhapur, drew sharp criticism and mockery from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who suggested Patil be nominated for a Nobel Prize for his "scientific innovation." The CJP protest at Jantar Mantar involved clashes and stone-pelting over examination paper leaks.
Shiv Sena member of Parliament Sanjay Raut skipped appearing before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai on Wednesday for questioning in a money-laundering case, citing his engagement with the ongoing Parliament session in Delhi, sources said.
The Shiv Sena-UBT is holding a crucial parliamentary party meeting in New Delhi to address a potential split by dissident MPs. A whip has been issued, making attendance mandatory, as the party aims to prevent a breakaway faction from merging with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and initiating disqualification proceedings.
Criminals and terrorists have no caste or religion, he said, adding that those who have suspicions on such police action can always approach courts for remedial measures.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has sacked Sanjay Raut as the leader of its parliamentary party and appointed Lok Sabha MP Gajanan Kirtikar as his successor.
Enforcement Directorate officials on Sunday detained Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut in connection with the Patra Chawl land scam case in Mumbai after hours of conducting raids at his residence.
Shiv Sena member of Parliament Sanjay Raut on Tuesday said the Bharatiya Janata Party was using central agencies to topple the Maharashtra government by targeting the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi leaders and their family members.
Pawar met Modi at the Prime Minister's Office in Parliament along with NCP Lok Sabha member P P Mohammad Faizal, who raised issues related to his constituency Lakshadweep.
Mumbai witnessed a second consecutive day of protests by Opposition parties and residents, demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET fiasco and condemning the police crackdown on a CJP-led march in Delhi.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticised the BJP, accusing it of betraying Hindus by allegedly embezzling donations for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He vowed to lead protests for "BJP-mukt Ram" and questioned the BJP's Hindutva, calling it a "Pakistan Janata Party" for its alleged party-splitting tactics and questioning citizenship. Thackeray also targeted rebel MPs, including Sanjay Deshmukh, for their defection.
The Shiv Sena-UBT is facing a significant internal crisis, with reports suggesting that 'six to seven' of its nine Lok Sabha MPs are preparing to form a separate group. MP Arvind Sawant has formally requested Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla not to recognise any such breakaway faction, emphasising the primacy of the political party over its legislative wing.
"No government can be formed without Congress, which is a major and deeply-rooted party in the country. Congress is the main opposition party too. Others are regional parties," Raut said in Pune
Speaking two days after his release on bail in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, he also said a joint parliamentary committee should look into all such cases.
Amid renewed speculation about political realignments and a potential merger, senior leaders from two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule clarified her party's position on the proposed Delimitation Bill, stating that while a uniform 50 per cent increase in seats across states would be hard to oppose, any final decision would be made after discussions within the INDIA bloc.
He said the purpose of Gandhi's Yatra from Kanyakumari to Kashmir is to remove the hatred and fear and not to unite the opposition parties under the banner of his party.
BJP candidate Arun Lakhani, contesting the Maharashtra legislative council elections, addresses the unique situation of his son's marriage to Supriya Sule's daughter, emphasising the separation of politics and family ties.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Friday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Mumbai to record his statement in connection with a money laundering probe.
Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir reiterated Pakistan's stance on Kashmir, calling it the country's 'jugular vein' during an address to the Pakistani diaspora in Tampa, Florida. He also discussed Pakistan-US relations and the potential for increased investment.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
'The jail staff told me Kasab was served only jail food and not biryani.' 'They told me that Kasab was beaten regularly after court proceedings.' 'And they filled Kasab's bottle with urine so that whenever he felt thirsty he used to drink urine.'
The Indian government and opposition parties are set for a showdown in Parliament over a Constitution amendment bill concerning the implementation of the women's quota law and the delimitation exercise. The Opposition is concerned about the potential impact of delimitation on the political representation of southern states.
Several opposition parties on Wednesday decided to jointly oppose the delimitation provisions in the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament, even as they reiterated support for women's reservation, with Mallikarjun Kharge alleging the move is politically motivated.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in Maharashtra is facing internal conflict over the allocation of a winnable Rajya Sabha seat, with the Congress staking its claim against the Shiv Sena (UBT). Discussions are ongoing to reach a consensus before the nomination deadline.
Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, has resigned following criticism over her association with rape-accused 'godman' Ashok Kharat. The resignation comes after opposition parties highlighted Chakankar's links with Kharat, who is accused of sexual assault and fraud.
Opposition parties are demanding a full Parliament discussion on the West Asia conflict, criticising the government's silence and calling for a contingency plan to protect India's energy security and citizens.
The absence of NCP-SP leaders from a key Maha Vikas Aghadi meeting in Maharashtra has ignited concerns about opposition unity ahead of the crucial budget session and upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
Leaders of 16 opposition parties demanded a special session of Parliament on Operation Sindoor in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) parties held a meeting on the issue in the national capital on Tuesday.
"Gandhi's disqualification is illegal and the case is also bogus. I am sure that a higher court in Gujarat will do justice to Gandhi," said Raut, whose party is an ally of the Congress in Maharashtra.
Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut's article on North Indians has brought down the image of parliamentarians in the public eye, a Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee on Monday held.
Sunil Raut, brother of Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut, was on Wednesday remanded to police custody till November 27 for allegedly masterminding the attack on the office of Marathi news channel IBN-Lokmat. Raut had surrendered on Tuesday at the Parkside police station in suburban Vikhroli. On November 20, a group of alleged Shiv Sainiks ransacked the office of IBN-Lokma' in suburban Mumbai and beat up the staff members.
The Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Saturday said Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar not favouring formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe allegations against the Adani group will not lead to cracks in opposition unity.
