Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who was admitted to Lilavati Hospital with chest pain, saw senior Congress leaders visiting him on Wednesday morning, before he was discharged.
Mr. Raut, who was hospitalised on Monday, was discharged on Wednesday after an angioplasty. Senior Congress leaders Ashok Chavan, Balasaheb Thorat and Manikrao Thakare had called on him earlier in the day. After the visit, Mr. Thorat told news channels they had come to enquire after the Sena leader’s health.
Mr. Raut, too, gave an interview to a Marathi news channel from his hospital room. “Maharashtra wants a Shiv Sena Chief Minister. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now building a Ram temple in Ayodhya, but lord Ram’s biggest teaching is not to go back on your word. You (BJP) used the State machinery to prevent a government coming in place. This is not democracy. The Governor has done injustice.”
When asked about Sena claiming support of 170 legislators, he said, “Even Sharad Pawar knows where the figure of 170 comes from. Even BJP wanted the CM’s post; this is politics, there is a give and take. The BJP did not give anything. If they (Congress-NCP) deserve it, Uddhav Thackeray will give.”
When asked about ideological differences with the Congress-NCP, especially Hindutva, he said, “With the BJP, our ideology was the same but things did not work out. Congress-NCP are Indian parties.”
BMC removes hoardings outside Matoshree
Pulled down: BMC workers remove a hoarding, which said Uddhav Thackeray should be CM.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Wednesday removed hoardings put up by Shiv Sainiks outside the Thackeray residence Matoshree.
The hoardings popped up after the Assembly election results were announced. Some of them demanded that Uddhav Thackeray be the next chief minister, while others said Aaditya Thackeray should get the post.
The removal of hoardings comes in the backdrop of the negotiations under way between the Sena and Congress-NCP. However a senior officer from H East ward, in which Matoshree falls, said, “This is a routine process, nothing unusual about it. We do it regularly.”
