'Sanjay Raut planning to oust Uddhav Thackerey with Pawar' claims BJP Maharashtra chief

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil claimed that Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was working on NCP chief Sharad Pawar's agenda, which was to remove Uddhav Thackeray from the chief minister.

Pune: Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Monday claimed that Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut was working on NCP chief Sharad Pawar's agenda, which was to remove Uddhav Thackeray from the chief minister's position and make Raut the CM.

Speaking to reporters here, Patil also said there was an attempt to uproot the foundation of 'Matoshree', the Mumbai-based private residence of Shiv Sena president Thackeray.

"Whether he considers it or not, Uddhavji is our friend. He is the son of Shiv Sena supremo late Balasaheb Thackeray. We have worked together for several years," he said.

Who is Sanjay Raut? He came to the Shiv Sena lately and who is he teaching? the BJP leader further said.

"We would like to tell Uddhavji that as per what we understand, Raut is working on an agenda given by Pawar Saheb. The agenda is to remove you from the chief minister's position as you have completed two-and-a-half years as CM," Patil claimed.

"...And since Supriya Sule cannot be made CM, for him (Pawar) making Raut the chief minister will be as good as making Sule the CM," Patil added.

Sule, the Lok Sabha member from Baramati in Pune, is Pawar's daughter.

Notably, after the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Shiv Sena had snapped ties with its long-term ally BJP over the issue of sharing the chief ministerial post.

The Thackeray-led party had then forged an alliance with the NCP and Congress to form government in the state.

To a query, Patil deplored the language used by Rajya Sabha member Raut in some of his statements against BJP leaders and said "using such kind of language is not our culture".