Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has publicly accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah of betraying the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray and selling out the original Shiv Sena to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Raut's remarks come as political tensions heighten in Maharashtra in the run-up to the state assembly elections, where the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance is vying for dominance against the BJP. According to ANI, Raut is confident in MVA’s strength, predicting a victory of 160-170 seats in the assembly polls.

Responding to comments made by Shah during a recent rally, Raut criticised both Modi and Shah, stating they had once praised Balasaheb Thackeray but later betrayed his vision by allegedly “selling” Shiv Sena to Shinde. “You praised him a lot once. But Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi betrayed Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. First, you bought it, and then you sold it to Shinde,” Raut remarked. He added that Eknath Shinde, who broke away from the Shiv Sena, lacked a historical connection to the party’s formation, which, according to Raut, only made the betrayal deeper.