Will complete five years in power: Shiv Sena

Mumbai: Amid the uncertainty surrounding the survival of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s jibe at Veer Savarkar, senior Shiv Sena leader and spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that his government would complete its tenure of five years.

“Those who served for 80 hours think that the current government will not survive for 80 days. The Nagpur session is famous for political horse-trading but with a 170-member-strong majority, the government will survive for five years,” Mr Raut said in his weekly column ‘Rokh Tok’.

Mr Raut said that people should come out of the illusion that the government would not survive 80 days, adding that a full-fledged Cabinet will be formed after the winter session and would survive for next five years.

“Ajit Pawar would play a crucial role to continue the government. Nobody should worry about it,” he added.   

The Sena leader also predicted that politics of Maharashtra would have a long-term impact on national politics. He claimed that even leaders from other parties consider the move to align with the Congress-NCP as path-breaking.

“What has happened in Maharashtra was unexpected. Many people still don’t believe that this has happened. I had attended a programme on the night of December 10, in Lucknow. There I found many leaders who have joined the BJP after leaving their respective parties, and now holding ministerial berths. All of them were of the view that the Maharashtra has given new direction to the country. Other states of the country will also follow the suit. This is just the beginning,” Mr Raut said.