Mumbai, Feb 4 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday accused NCP working president Praful Patel of being closer to the BJP than his own party and said he must do whatever is acceptable only to Maharashtra and the Marathi manoos.
The Nationalist Congress Party belongs to Pawars, not Patels, he said, claiming that even NCP state president Sunil Tatkare was leaning towards the BJP.
“Praful Patel should do whatever is acceptable only to Maharashtra and Marathi manoos. NCP is a party of Pawars and not Patels. He (Patel) is a bigger devotee of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (Union Home Minister Amit) Shah than being a leader of his party,” Raut said.
Patel on Tuesday said he was not in the race to become the NCP’s national president, a post held by late deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. He also lamented that those not connected to the NCP were speaking about the decisions taken by the party after Pawar’s death in a tragic air crash last week.
The Opposition has been targeting Patel, accusing him of harbouring the ambition of heading the NCP after Ajit Pawar’s death.
Raut also alleged that the BJP was responsible for the splits in the original NCP and Shiv Sena, founded by Sharad Pawar and Bal Thackeray, respectively.
About the mayoral polls in Chandrapur, where the BJP as well as the Congress did not get a majority and are dependent on smaller players, Raut said his party chief Uddhav Thackeray has directed Sena (UBT) corporators there to ensure that they don’t align with the BJP.
In the 66-seat Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, the Congress won 27, followed by the BJP (23), Shiv Sena-UBT (6). One seat was won each by the BSP and Shiv Sena. PTI PR NR
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