'Bamboo' Warfare Among Shiv Sena Factions As CM Shinde, Raut Exchange Swipes

The Maharashtra politics saw a 'bamboo' warfare among rival Shiv Sena parties, as both claimed to have given 'bamboo' to each other. Both Shiv Sena's have been flexing muscles over their performance in recent Lok Sabha elections. A 'bamboo' fight broke out between two groups after CM Eknath Shinde's statement. 

On Sunday, CM Eknath Shinde spoke at an event about bamboo cultivation. While emphasising the importance of bamboo and its various by-products, he turned to politics, saying, "Bamboo is an important plant. Its cultivation should be increased. Besides, some people need to be given a bamboo. There are people who create noise with loudspeakers in the morning. As one loudspeaker has stopped, another another is continuing."

Thackeray faction MP Sanjay Raut responded strongly to this. "In the Lok Sabha elections, we collectively gave the Mahayuti a bamboo. In the assembly elections, this bamboo will go right through them. This bamboo has gone so deep that now they see it even in their dreams," Raut mocked. He was speaking to the media in Nashik on Monday.

Also Read| Pune, Once Known as the 'Education Hub,' Now Dubbed 'Hub of Drugs and Pubs': Jayant Patil.

"Prime Minister Modi and Amit Shah have imposed an illegal government on Maharashtra. They faced a bamboo in the Lok Sabha elections. We collectively inserted a bamboo into their Mahayuti, and now they are trying to remove it. Devendra Fadnavis is currently studying whether to pull out this deeply lodged bamboo or remove it surgically. He might even earn a bogus degree from this study. Perhaps it's Modi and Shah themselves who are putting the bamboo into him," Raut remarked.

Raut also suggested that instead of providing substantial funds to Mahayuti's MLAs, the government should financially support onion and dairy farmers. "The government in Telangana has once again waived farmers' loans. Instead of giving money to Mahayuti leaders in percentages, funds should be allocated to dairy and onion producers. Maharashtra has the highest farmer suicide rate. If the Chief Minister wants to deal with this, we'll address it in the assembly," Raut added.

In response to Raut, Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Shirsat said, "Sanjay Raut is called the morning loudspeaker. Just as a mill's siren goes off, he makes noise. The example given by the Chief Minister seems to have hit him. The Congress and NCP Sharad Pawar faction have inserted a bamboo into UBT faction, and they are troubled by it. The bamboo they have inserted shows no sign of coming out."

MNS chief Raj Thackeray, when asked for his reaction to Sanjay Raut's statement on giving bamboo to Mahayuti in assembly polls, simply said, "Then go ahead, give the bamboo."