Shiv Sena (UBT) Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut on Wednesday, 1 July launched a sharp attack on party legislator and deputy leader Sachin Ahir after Ahir switched to the Eknath Shinde faction, accusing him of betraying the organisation that had rebuilt his political career. Raut said Ahir had 'left them in the dark, dropping a stone on their heads while they were asleep' — a characterisation that underscored the depth of the perceived betrayal.

What Triggered the Outburst

Ahir's departure came a day before Raut's remarks, when the legislator formally joined the Shinde camp and filed his nomination for the post of Maharashtra Legislative Council Deputy Chairperson. In a message to colleagues, Ahir stated: 'Leaving the party is my compulsion. I am doing this for my future journey and prospects.' Raut responded pointedly, asking, 'If this is the case, then for whom should the common grassroots worker toil?'

Raut Traces Ahir's Political Trajectory

Raut reminded reporters of how Ahir's career had stalled after a defeat at the hands of Sunil Shinde, and how Aaditya Thackeray had personally revived it — making him an MLC, appointing him deputy leader, installing him as working president of the Bhartiya Kamgar Sena, and entrusting him with full charge of Pune district. 'Sachin Ahir was an extremely close associate of Aaditya Thackeray. He cannot claim that no one was meeting him or listening to him, because Aaditya Thackeray and Uddhav Saheb met him daily,' Raut asserted.

He also recalled Ahir's earlier switch from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), where Sharad Pawar had elevated him from obscurity to the posts of MHADA chief, minister for several years, and Mumbai NCP President. 'If he couldn't remain loyal to Sharad Pawar, how could he be loyal to us?' Raut questioned, adding that Ahir had 'caught Pawar off guard' in the same fashion when he first joined the Shiv Sena.

Raut's Verdict on Loyalty and Decay

'Even if you call this your political journey, history will remember it as a tainted one. If you choose to leave even after being given everything, it means political greed is destroying you,' Raut said. He described Ahir's political road map as 'riddled with potholes' and his journey as 'blemished,' arguing that loyal party workers who stand by an organisation through difficult times have become a rarity. 'A kind of decay and degradation is underway in the state,' he observed.

When asked whether Ahir's exit would complicate Aaditya Thackeray's position in the Worli Assembly constituency, Raut deflected, saying contentment was crucial for any human being.

Raut Calls for Introspection — Including His Own Party

In a candid admission that stood out amid the criticism, Raut acknowledged the party's own vulnerabilities: 'For our political future, all of us need to engage in introspection.' He also noted that of the six MPs who had split from the party, five were originally from the Indian National Congress (Congress) — a detail he appeared to use to question the ideological cohesion of those who had left.

Taking a parting shot at Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Raut said: 'When someone defects despite being given everything, Eknath Shinde breaks into a wicked laugh, resembling Ravana.' The remark was among the sharpest personal attacks of the day, reflecting the intensity of the intra-Maharashtra political churn that has defined the state's politics since the 2022 Shiv Sena split. With the Maharashtra Legislative Council election now in view, the fallout from Ahir's defection is likely to reverberate further.