‘I also got Guwahati offer’: Sanjay Raut claims days after MVA govt collapse

The Maharashtra political crisis that forced Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray to resign as the chief minister of the state, also saw rebel Shiv Sena leader  Eknath Shinde take oath as the new CM with Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis as the deputy chief minister. 

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) collapsed following the revolt of Shiv Sena leaders, where the rebel leaders became ‘unreachable’ a day after the Maharashtra Legislative Council election results were declared. 

They first went to Surat and then camped at Guwahati, before they shifted to Goa and finally came back to Maharashtra. 

Days after the debacle, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Saturday claimed that he was "given the offer" to go to Guwahati and join Eknath Shinde and other rebel MLAs.

Raut further stated that he turned down the offer as he follows the Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.

The rebel MLAs staged their rebellion against the MVA government from Assam's Guwahati. 

The new government has been asked to prove its majority in the State Assembly on Monday.

Speaking to the media, the Shiv Sena leader said, "I also got an offer for Guwahati but I follow Balasaheb Thackeray and so I didn't go there. When the truth is on your side, why fear?"

Raut further said that it is 'difficult' to associate former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as Deputy Chief Minister.

"Fadnavis won't get CM seat from Central. Deputy CM word from my mouth did not suit him but it was their internal matter I won't speak on this," he said.

"BJP wants to destroy shiv Sena from Mumbai and Maharashtra. But it did not happen," he added.

Talking about the summons issued to him by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, the Shiv Sena leader said, "As a responsible citizen and MP, it's my duty to appear if an investigative agency (ED) summons me. The problem is with timing- amid Maharashtra political crisis but they had doubts. Their officials behaved well with me; told them that I can come again if need be."

Raut was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for about 10 hours on Friday in connection with a money-laundering probe.

Raut is being probed in connection with the re-development of Mumbai's Patra Chawl.

Raut arrived at the ED office located in south Mumbai around 11.30 am on Friday and left around 9.30 pm. The Shiv Sena leader, while leaving the ED office, said he would cooperate with the central agency.

Raut appeared before the central agency on Friday after it issued the second summons in the case to appear before July 1, after the leader failed to appear in his first summon on Monday due to the then political crisis in Maharashtra.

The Rajya Sabha MP was scheduled to appear for questioning on Tuesday. However, his lawyer had sought 13-14 days time to present the documents in front of the probe agency but the request was declined by the Agency.

In April this year, the ED had attached immovable properties worth ₹11.15 crore, including a flat at Dadar, held by Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha and eight land parcels at Kihim near Alibag, jointly held by the latter with Swapna Patkar, in connection with the redevelopment scam.Swapna is the wife of Sujit Patkar, a close associate of the Sena leader.