It is four weeks now that the Shiv Sena leader and MP Sanjay Raut is in jail following the ED action. But not a single MVA leader has come in his support indicating that Raut is left alone.
A new experiment was made in Maharashtra politics one and a half years ago. The Shiv Sena deserted its old ally the BJP and joined hands with the Congress and the NCP, parties with diverse ideologies.
The MVA government was formed in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena Party Chief Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray was the CM and King, whereas Raut was the kingmaker.
Raut had admonished the Union Home minister Amit Shah in Lok Sabha many times for the extreme use of ED and other agencies by the NaMo-led Central Government.
The MVA Govt was formed and Raut took on the then Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis and other Opposition leaders. Raut had also lambasted 40 odd rebels of the Shinde-Fadnavis faction.
Whether it was Kangana Ranawat or journalist Arnab Goswami or the Navneet Rana family, the responsibility of returning all missives was on Raut. The NCP, Congress and the Ministers like Eknath Shinde were reaping the benefits of the power. Raut was the lone fighter then.
The MVA leaders were not agreeing with Raut, but they were reluctant to leave the power which came in due to the formation of the MVA. All enjoyed the fruits of power. Today Raut is behind bars. But the MVA leaders are not bothered to support him.
In the monsoon session ruling MLAs and Opposition clashed. But not a single MVA leader spoke about former ministers-Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik and MP Sanjay Raut in the house.
After Raut was arrested, Uddhav Thackeray consoled his family but did not organise a press conference or direct Shiv Saniks to take to the street to oppose the ED.
Raut’s so-called Guru and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar did not even call on his family. The Congress leaders remained unaffected. The leaders like Balasaheb Thorat who enjoyed power, have been keeping quiet since then.
The present Opposition leader Ajit Pawar is a ‘managed’ Opposition leader. To get himself cleansed he may join the BJP anytime.
Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik and Sanjay Raut may not be very clean, but they had kept the BJP on tenterhooks to save the MVA Govt. But today the MVA leaders are indifferent toward their own colleagues.
If Anil Deshmukh, Nawab Malik and Sanjay Raut were to rebel like Eknath Shinde and others and join BJP, they could have avoided their plight. Today they are in difficulties. If MVA leaders do not support them, then they can fall prey to BJP’s design and may be in the saffron party’s fold.