'Balasaheb Too Had To...': What Sanjay Raut Said on Sharad Pawar's Resignation Shocker

After NCP Surpemo and veteran Maharashtra leader Sharad Pawar announced his resignation from the post of party chief, Shiv Sena leader and his political ally, Sanjay Raut compared Pawar’s decision to step down with Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

Raut on Tuesday took to Twitter to hail Pawar’s decision and wrote, “Fed up by dirty Politics and allegations, Shivsena Supremo Balasaheb Thackeray too had resigned as the Shivsena Pramukh. History seems to have repeated itself… But owing to the love of Shivsainiks he had to withdraw his decision…Like Balasaheb, Pawar Saheb too is the soul of the State’s politics.”

Raut’s party Shiv Sena Uddhav Bal Thackeray, which is the split faction of the former Shiv Sena, is a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi that also comprises NCP and the Congress.

His reaction came after Sharad Pawar, whose party has been clouded with speculations of joining forces with the BJP, on Tuesday announced that he was stepping down as the chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)

Pawar founded the political outfit in 1999 and lead it since then. He announced the launch of a revised version of his autobiography.

The announcement was met with protests by party workers and leaders who asked the octogenarian leader to rescind the decision NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, who was present at the meeting in Mumbai where Pawar announced his decision, said that the state and the country need “Pawar saheb”.

Meanwhile, Pawar’s nephew Ajit Pawar, who recently became subject to rumours of aligning with political rival BJP, expressed regret about Sharad Pawar’s resignation and said that he will always remain the head of the family.

A four-time Maharashtra chief minister, who also served as Union Defence and Agriculture minister, Pawar played a key role in building an unprecedented coalition between the NCP, Congress and then ideologically opposite Shiv Sena to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

(With inputs from PTI)

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