Sanjay Raut on Sena Rebellion: 'People Come and Go, Party Moves Ahead'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has downplayed the rebellion of six Lok Sabha MPs from the party, stating that the organisation will continue despite the defections. In an interview, Raut said, "People come and leave, but the party moves ahead," asserting that the party's future does not depend on elected representatives.

The six MPs—Omraje Nimbalkar, Sanjay Dina Patil, Sanjay Jadhav, Sanjay Deshmukh, Nagesh Patil Ashtikar, and Bhausaheb Vakchaure—have expressed dissatisfaction with Uddhav Thackeray's leadership, particularly his alliance with the Congress party. They met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday, citing concerns about an alleged plan to merge Shiv Sena (UBT) with the Congress.

Raut, who remains loyal to Thackeray, argued that the Shiv Sena is a cadre-based party and has survived numerous crises since its founding in 1966. He accused the ruling BJP of attempting to create a "one-party nation" by weakening regional parties. "In the last 12 years, there has been an attempt to end regional parties," he said, adding that a strong opposition is essential for democracy.

One of the rebel MPs, Om Rajenimbalkar, highlighted the difficulty of securing development funds for his constituency from the opposition benches. Raut acknowledged that opposition MPs receive less funding but dismissed this as a justification for leaving the party. "If you have joined Shiv Sena, you have joined knowing that you will be in the opposition," he said. He drew parallels with historical opposition leaders like George Fernandes and Jayaprakash Narayan, noting that opposition politics was never about access to funds.

Raut also predicted that the rebel MPs would not be re-elected, claiming they won on the strength of the Shiv Sena (UBT) symbol—the Mashaal (torch). He argued that by defecting, they had betrayed the mandate given by voters.

The Shiv Sena was founded by Balasaheb Thackeray to represent Marathi interests. Despite predictions that it would remain confined to Mumbai, the party expanded across Maharashtra and beyond. Raut emphasised that the party would rebuild itself once again, as it has done after previous defections.