Sanjay Raut calls on Devendra Fadnavis to be CM of a unified Maharashtra

Mumbai: Shiv Sena, which has announced that it will contest assembly elections in Karnataka except in the disputed border area, will support the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES). Sena has urged the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to support MES instead of fielding seats in disputed areas of Karnataka. The Sena has also urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to visit the disputed areas and address the poll rallies to show he is CM of unified Maharashtra.

Sanjay Raut, Member of Parliament of Shiv Sena said, “Except in disputed border area, the party will contest about 50 to 60 seats in rest of the state.”

Raut said, “BJP is in power in the state and at the Centre and Fadnavis should speak to BJP central leadership about the issue. We have all along been constantly saying that the disputed border regions should be merged with Maharashtra and we shall not tolerate injustice being heaped on the Marathi speaking people there.”

He added that by merely pledging support to the cause of the Marathi speaking population in the disputed border regions by mentioning in the Governor’s joint address to the state legislature is not enough. Raut called upon the CM to go to the disputed border regions of Karnataka and campaign for MES candidates. He added the Chief Minister is not of the BJP, but of Maharashtra.

The Sena leader further remarked that if he does that then they would feel proud to call him as “the Chief Minister of a unified Maharashtra, which has so far not happened” and added that Fadnavis should set a precedent.

Commenting upon the case that’s registered against him in the disputed town of Belgaum, Raut said, “The case being filed against me was immaterial. All political party workers should invite such cases being filed against them in order to show solidarity of the Marathi speaking population of the disputed region in Karnataka.”

Also read: BJP ally Shiv Sena to go solo in Karnataka Assembly polls

The Sena leader questioned as to what wrong had he committed by demanding the disputed regions of Karnataka be declared a Union Territory.

Raut said, “The Sena for the last 65 years has been demanding the disputed areas be merged into Maharashtra. Nearly 20 lakh Marathi speaking people of the disputed areas have been making the demand. Despite being elected in a democratic manner their voices are being suppressed. Actually the Chief Minister of Maharashtra should make the above demand to the Center and then he shall truly be called as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.”

Commenting upon the inadvertent slip of tounge of BJP president Amit Shah, Raut remarked that the confusion created by Shah’s statement in Karnataka BJP, no one for sure can say what will be the outcome of the elections. “One thing is clearly visible is the Congress is two steps ahead of the rest. Again in coming days when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders take a plunge into the election campaign then what will happen one cannot say. But one thing is clear there is a cliff-hanger of a battle in Karnataka,” he added.