Raut Claims CM Change Likely In Maharashtra

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday claimed that if there is a Cabinet reshuffle in the coming days, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis may be shifted to the Center and a senior BJP leader may replace him as the chief minister of the state.

“If there is a change at the Centre, Fadnavis can go there to serve the nation and a senior BJP minister can become the chief minister of Maharashtra,” Raut said in Nagpur.

Raut was in Nagpur to oversee the preparations for the Shiv Sena UBT’s ‘Ram Raksha Andolan’ to be held on July 18 against the alleged misappropriation of donations from the Ayodhya Ram temple. He said Ram devotees and Sena (UBT) workers from Vidarbha, covering 11 districts including Nagpur, will participate in the protest, which will be led by party president Uddhav Thackeray.

Raut said invitations have been sent to Devendra Fadnavis and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat to join the ‘Ramraksha’ agitation in Nagpur. Shiv Sena (UBT) has launched a state-wide campaign to protect the sanctity of Lord Ram and raise public awareness against allegations of misuse of donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Raut lashed out at BJP leaders, including Nitesh Rane and Sandeep Joshi, who called the invitation a ‘political joke’.

“How can this be a political joke? The Chief Minister of a state does not belong to a single party; he represents the entire Maharashtra,” he said.

“As the Chief Minister of the state, we invited him (Fadnavis). More importantly, as a devotee of Lord Ram and due to his participation in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, we invited him to join our Ramraksha movement,” the Sena (UBT) leader said.

Raut said inviting Bhagwat was a matter of respect and responsibility, especially since the program was held in Nagpur, the headquarters of the RSS.

“Despite occasional differences of opinion, Sarsanghchalak has always remained a highly respected figure for us. It is our duty and responsibility to invite him as we are organizing a major Hindutva-oriented event and Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray ji also attended. Therefore, it is both our duty and dharma to invite Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat ji,” he said.