‘No one has told us they are leaving’: Sanjay Raut denies SS-UBT MPs defection rumours
New Delhi, June 17 (IANS) Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday denied speculation that MPs are leaving the party to join the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena but reiterated his previous allegation that monetary transactions were involved to “lure” party leaders into the opposing camp.
Talking to IANS, Raut said: “Our party has nine MPs in the Lok Sabha. For the last two days, reports have been circulating that people are leaving. We have no such information. We are reading it in newspapers and watching on television channels. No one has come to us and said that they are leaving or cited any reason for that.”
However, he mentioned that the Uddhav Thackeray loyalists have met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to submit a petition, seeking his intervention to block any attempts by disgruntled lawmakers to orchestrate a fresh split or merger in the Lower House of Parliament.
“We have met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and conveyed that we have been hearing that some MPs want to split from our party and form a separate faction. We appealed to him to listen to us before they come to him. We have submitted an appeal and a caveat,” Raut said.
He further said that the Speaker has been requested to follow the rules and the direction of the Supreme Court in this matter.
Earlier, in a series of his posts on X, Raut had sarcastically said: “Apna Sapna Money Money! It’s shocking and revolting that Maharashtra MPs are reportedly being offered Rs 15 crore each tonight to switch sides.”
Standing by his allegation, he said: “The talk of Rs 15 crore is true, of course it is. Does anyone break away in politics today without money? It’s all about money. In politics, the party that wants people to join it will take them in, and it is that party which will pay.”
Supporting Sanjay Raut’s allegation, Shiv Sena-UBT spokesperson Anand Dubey remarked: “Democracy has been turned into a betting market.”
“Earlier, in 2022, when MLAs were switching sides, slogans such as ’50 crore, Pannas Khokhe’ were being raised. Now, if MPs are being bought for Rs 15 to 20 crore instead of Rs 50 crore, then just think about what this means,” he told IANS.
Further referring to the party’s split in 2022, Dubey said: “We accepted it and fought back. We approached the courts, and the matter became a legal battle. But now, in 2026, our party is once again being broken apart. One thing we fail to understand is, when will the other side’s hunger for power end?”
He appealed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s intervention in matters related to defections from political parties, saying: “They should question this.”
“If the Opposition is not kept alive, then who will keep the government in check. In the coming times, a law should be made on this so that people realise the importance of the Constitution, otherwise they will keep breaking laws,” he added.
–IANS
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