Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered heavy losses in Maharashtra due to its allies chief minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Raut further said that although Shinde's party has won 7 Lok Sabha seats, it is through the power of money and the police. The Mahayuti's performance in the Lok Sabha elections was dismal to say the least as the BJP won only 9 seats, the Shiv Sena on and the NCP only 1.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the Congress won 30 seats in Maharashtra. Of this, the Congress won on 13 seats, the Shiv Sena (UBT) on 9 and NCP (SP) on 8 seats.
"The loss suffered by the BJP in Maharashtra is because of Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde. Eknath Shinde has won 7 seats through the power of money and the police," the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
He added that the BJP's alliance with Shiv Sena and the NCP, after the split in both the parties, cost it dearly in the general elections. Raut further said the 400 paar slogan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proven to be wrong.
" '400 paar' slogan was given by Narendra Modi. Do you have the courage to go and tell him that this slogan was wrong?" Raut further said while taking potshots at the Mahayuti.
The Rajya Sabha MP on Tuesday said that there was "no life" in Shiv Sena, NCP and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). He also claimed that these parties were formed "out of fear" and with a motive to weaken Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis met Home Minister Amit Shah days after the Lok Sabha election results came out. In this meeting, Fadnavis told Shah that lack of coordination between the Mahayuti allies and a delay in finalising the seat-sharing arrangement between the three parties was among the main reasons for the saffron party's loss in the state.