A fresh political controversy erupted in Maharashtra on Sunday after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut made a bold assertion about his party's enduring influence in the state's capital. The Member of Parliament claimed that his faction's most significant achievement is its continued ability to bring Mumbai to a standstill within a short span of time.
Raut's Provocative Assertion on Shiv Sena's Strength
During a television interview, Sanjay Raut stated that the Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) remains a formidable force. He declared that the party could "shut down Mumbai in 10 minutes even today," calling this capability its biggest accomplishment. Raut emphasized the resilience of the party organization despite electoral setbacks.
"The Thackerays will never be finished. We have lost elections... There are victories and defeats in elections. Our organisation is strong," the Rajya Sabha MP said. Linking the survival of the city and the Marathi community to the Thackeray leadership, he added, "If Thackeray survives, Marathi people and Mumbai will survive. Everyone knows this." He specifically mentioned that both Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and former minister Vinod Tawde of the BJP are aware of this reality.
Chief Minister Fadnavis Dismisses Claims as "Empty Threats"
Responding swiftly to Raut's comments, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis brushed them aside as mere bluster. He countered that the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader "cannot even shut down the area around his house" and asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not intimidated by such statements.
Fadnavis recalled past claims made by the UBT faction to undermine their current boast. He pointed out that when Eknath Shinde rebelled and left for Guwahati with supporting MLAs, the UBT camp had claimed he would not be able to return to Mumbai. "Shinde still came to Mumbai, with 50 MLAs. Shinde and I went to Raj Bhavan through the streets of Mumbai. After that, we formed govt. All this (Raut's claims) is just talk," the Chief Minister stated.
A Nostalgic Admission and a Sharp Retort
In his rebuttal, Fadnavis drew a distinction between the party's historical power and its current state. He acknowledged that during the era of the late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray, "Mumbai could be shut down in two hours on a single signal" from him. However, he sharply contrasted that with the present, stating, "Now, there is no strength in them (UBT). Sanjay Raut just talks like this all day long."
This exchange highlights the ongoing bitter rivalry between the ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP, and the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) faction. The war of words centers on the tangible political and organizational clout each side wields on the streets of Mumbai, a key battleground in Maharashtra's politics.
The verbal duel underscores the high-stakes political environment in the state, where claims of mass support and ground-level strength are frequently used as tools for political one-upmanship. While Raut's comments aimed to project an image of undiminished street power, Fadnavis's retort sought to portray them as hollow boasts from a weakened opposition.
