Sanjay Raut tells Ajit Pawar camp not to stand at door like beggars for finance ministry

Big developments are following one after another in the state's politics. An alleged audio clip involving Rs 500 crore, presented by Manoj Jarange Patil, has caused a stir and a dispute is under way in the Mahayuti. Amid this, the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP has asked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the finance portfolio. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut has now set off a fresh row by calling the Ajit Pawar faction beggars.

Raut spoke to the media on Monday, October 26, and commented on several subjects. He sharply criticised the Ajit Pawar faction's leaders for meeting Chief Minister Fadnavis and asking for the finance portfolio, and took the faction to task over the demand.

Raut said the finance portfolio was not a very big matter. He also said Ajit Pawar should in fact have become chief minister. Describing Pawar as an experienced and capable leader who had a distinct stature, Raut said that "you have to stand at the door like a beggar for a post; keep some self-respect".

Raut did not stop there. He also targeted the BJP. He alleged that BJP leaders do not keep their word, draw people close for political convenience and then betray them. Raut claimed that Ajit Pawar too was unhappy with the BJP's way of working and was thinking of leaving the government. He advised the Ajit Pawar faction to protect its self-respect rather than keep making demands for posts.

Raut also spoke on the Rs 500 crore audio clip. Reacting to a statement by MP Shrikant Shinde on the Rs 500 crore, he made a sharp remark about large sums of money. He said that some people find thousands of crores trivial, but even a few thousand rupees is a big matter for the common man.

The row that began over the demand for the finance portfolio is no longer limited to a single department. Allegations and counter-allegations are likely to continue for the next few days over the Ajit Pawar faction's self-respect, power equations with the BJP and the internal politics of the Mahayuti.