Shinde era is over, he has been tossed aside, says Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut. File Pic

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday attacked the political tenure of Eknath Shinde, saying, "Shinde era is over" and he will never be CM again, reported news agency ANI.

This remark came on Thursday following the Mahayuti alliance's decision to appoint Devendra Fadnavis as the new Chief Minister after a significant electoral victory in Maharashtra assembly election.

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The Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), successfully secured a commanding majority in the assembly elections, winning 235 seats in total, with the BJP alone claiming 132.

This victory led to Fadnavis's elevation to the chief ministerial role, while Eknath Shinde was offered the position of Deputy Chief Minister.

Raut explicitly stated, "Shinde era is over" and "now has been tossed aside", indicating that his days as Chief Minister are permanently behind him.

"Shinde era is over, it was just for two years. His usage is now over and he has been tossed aside. Shinde will never be the CM of this state again. They (BJP) can even break Shinde's party, this has always been BJP's line in politics. They break and finish the party of those who work with them," Raut said.

Raut also raised questions about the internal coherence of the Mahayuti alliance, highlighting a perceived delay in announcing the new Chief Minister despite their electoral success.

"They were unable to form the Government for 15 days - this signifies there is something wrong within their party or Mahayuti," Raut remarked. He suggested that such cracks in the alliance might soon become evident.

"Devendra Fadnavis will be the CM of the state from today. He has the majority but despite that, they were unable to form the Government for 15 days - it means that there is something wrong within their party or Mahayuti. This issue will start showing from tomorrow," Raut said.

The swearing-in ceremony for Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister is set to take place later on Thursday at Azad Maidan in Mumbai.

It will also see the simultaneous swearing-in of two deputy chief ministers, Ajit Pawar from the NCP and Eknath Shinde from Shiv Sena.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be present in the swearing-in ceremony.

The decision came after days of speculation and political maneuvering as Eknath Shinde wanted to become the chief minister of Maharashtra. However, the BJP refused to budge and later, Shinde said he would back PM Modi's pick, stated ANI.

This election cycle marked a dramatic setback for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), with the Congress party winning only 16 seats and the UBT faction of Shiv Sena securing 20.

The Nationalist Congress Party, led by Sharad Pawar, managed to obtain 10 seats, highlighting a considerable shift in voter sentiment in Maharashtra.

The Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party made notable gains, with 57 and 41 seats, respectively.

(With inputs from ANI)