Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale has blamed Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut for the split in the party and said Udhav Thackeray forged an alliance with NCP only at the behest of Raut.

Speaking to ANI, Athawale said, "It was not Sharad Pawar but Sanjay Raut who broke Shiv Sena. Uddhav Thackeray decided to go with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) only at the behest of Sanjay Raut."