Raut stated that Shah suggested merging Shiv Sena with BJP for Shinde’s CM aspirations. Raut criticized Shinde for questioning Uddhav Thackeray’s absence from Maha Kumbh.

MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed that deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde met Union home minister Amit Shah on Feb 22 in Pune in the early hours of the morning and told him how he was being cornered in the MahaYuti govt and his all decisions taken by him were being reversed by CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Raut claimed that Shinde told Shah that he wanted to be CM to which Shah said that the only way Shinde could be CM was to merge his party (Shiv Sena) into the BJP and no outsider could be CM now.
Shah reportedly told Shinde that to merge with BJP and only then can his claim on the post of CM be considered as an outsider will not become the CM of Maharashtra now.
Raut made the revelations in his Rok Thok his weekly column in Saamna, the Sena (UBT) mouthpiece. Raut also hit out at Shinde for raising questions over Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray not attending the recently concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj.
Raut said Shinde should first ask RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, if as a Hindu, he has visited the Kumbh to take a dip instead of targeting Uddhav Thackeray.
“Eknath Shinde met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the early hours of Saturday, February 22. The meeting took place at the ‘Westin’ hotel in Koregaon Park, Pune. The leader of the 57 MLAs was awake till four in the morning to meet Amit Shah. Shinde met Shah at four in the morning to say, “I have no respect in the government, I was the chief minister till yesterday. Today all my decisions are being reversed…When Shinde came out after meeting Shah, his face fell. There was a discussion between Shah and Shinde and the conversation was actually a complaint by Shinde about Fadnavis,” Raut wrote.
“Shinde: me and my people are being cornered, we joined the alliance on your word that I will be the chief minister. Shah: Our 125 MLAs were elected .. How can you claim the CM’s post?
Shinde: The election was held under my leadership. Shah: No, the election was held on Modiji’s face. Tell me what you want.. I will try.Shinde: Chief Minister. Shah: Look brother, it is not ok. Can’t happen yet. CM will be from the party (BJP). Shinde: What should I do? Shah: You merge with BJP. Then the claim will be there on the post of CM. An outsider won’t become the CM of Maharashtra now. We have kept your respect. Shinde: What about our party then? Shah: Leave that to us, we only made that party. Don’t worry,” Raut wrote in his column narrating the alleged conversation.