CM Fadnavis Rejects Sanjay Raut's Claim, States BJP Leaders Do Not Desire an Alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT); Asks to Avoid Politicizing Casual Meetings.
Maharashtra Politics: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut recently claimed that several BJP leaders are keen on an alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT). Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis categorically rejected this claim.
Interaction Between BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) Leaders
On Wednesday, a casual interaction took place between BJP and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders at the wedding ceremony of MLA Parag Alavani's daughter. This included lighthearted banter between Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Milind Narvekar and BJP Minister Chandrakant Patil. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar were also present at the event.
Narvekar jokingly remarked to Patil that if journalists were present, they would portray this as alliance talks. Patil responded humorously, stating, "It would be a golden moment."
Raut's Statement: Understanding the Sentiments of BJP Leaders
Following the ceremony, Sanjay Raut stated that Chandrakant Patil's sentiments reflect those of many BJP leaders who favor a BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. He added that the BJP had supported a "duplicate Shiv Sena" instead of the "real Shiv Sena" and gave their due to Eknath Shinde.
CM Fadnavis' Clarification: It Was a Casual Meeting
Speaking to the media in Delhi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified the situation. He stated that casual meetings should not be viewed through a political lens and that such interactions should not be interpreted as signals of any alliance.