Mumbai: While the Lok Sabha election campaigning in Uttar Pradesh has reached its peak, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut made a sensational claim that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath will be “replaced” if the Modi-Shah government returns to power after the elections. He also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had worked for Union minister Nitin Gadkari’s defeat in the Lok Sabha elections.
“If Amit Shah gets power again, he will finish Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath,” wrote Mr Raut in his column “Roththok” (point blank) in the Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamana on Sunday.
Yogi Adityanath’s supporters spread the message of “Yogi ko bachana hai toh Modi ko jana hai” (If you have to save Yogi Adityanath, Modi has to go), which will affect the BJP in 30 seats across UP. Yogi supporters have decided to finish off Mr Modi and Mr Shah and its outcome will be seen in the (Lok Sabha election) results on June 4, the Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP added.
Mr Raut also alleged that Mr Modi, Mr Shah and Mr Fadnavis had tried to defeat Mr Gadkari in Nagpur constituency. “Modi, Shah and Fadnavis worked for Gadkari’s defeat in Nagpur. Fadnavis unwillingly joined the campaign for Gadkari when he realised that he couldn’t be defeated. The RSS people in Nagpur are openly saying Fadnavis helped the Opposition to get Gadkari defeated,” he said.
The Sena (UBT) leader claimed that Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde had distributed Rs 25-30 crores in every constituency and his machinery worked to defeat candidates of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar.
The BJP has reacted strongly to Mr Raut’s allegations, labelling them as “absurd”. Senior BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said: “Sanjay Raut has this habit of making sensational statements. But this time he has made ridiculous allegations that are not only false but utter nonsense.”
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said: “The BJP is not a party, but a family. People who have always played the politics of factionalism will never understand family bonds. Modi, Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Gadkari and Fadnavis are part of the BJP family. We always work on the principle of nation first, then party and last self," he said.
Mr Gadkari, Union minister for road transport and highways, is seeking re-election from Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, where the polling took place in the first phase, on April 19.
