Not a sinking ship: Raut urges Cong reunion, asks Pawar to take lead

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday pitched for a broader opposition regrouping, urging NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar to take the initiative in bringing together leaders who had left the Congress over the years, saying a stronger Congress was essential to challenge the BJP.

Amid continuing attacks on the Congress by the ruling BJP, Raut said opposition parties must close ranks if they intend to mount an effective political challenge. He argued that leaders who had split from the Congress and formed separate political outfits should consider returning to a common platform, adding that Pawar was best placed to facilitate such an exercise. Regional parties, including the Shiv Sena (UBT), would support any move aimed at strengthening the opposition, he said.

Raut maintained that the Congress remained a significant political force despite recent electoral setbacks and dismissed suggestions that the party was in terminal decline. He said the BJP continued to view the Congress as its principal rival, indicating that the party still carried substantial political weight.

His remarks came a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described the Congress as a “sinking ship” and remarked that no sensible politician would choose to join it.

The Rajya Sabha member also launched a fresh attack on the BJP, questioning its contribution to landmark political movements in the country. He alleged that the party had no meaningful presence during the freedom struggle or the Samyukta Maharashtra movement and accused it of attempting to appropriate political narratives without historical involvement.

On reports of dissatisfaction among some Shiv Sena (UBT) MPs and speculation surrounding “Operation Tiger”, an alleged effort to lure leaders from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, Raut accused the BJP of repeatedly engineering splits in opposition ranks. He said attempts to weaken rival parties through defections represented a serious erosion of democratic norms and warned that such politics would eventually face a backlash.

Raut also criticised the Election Commission, alleging that the constitutional body was acting in a manner that benefited the BJP.