Sanjay Raut Challenges NDA's Government Formation Amid BJP's Shortfall

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut questions TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and JDU's Nitish Kumar about their alliances, hinting at BJP leadership. He expresses support for Rahul Gandhi as the PM candidate for the INDIA bloc. Raut claims Modi faced a moral defeat as BJP didn't secure a majority.

In a pointed remark aimed at BJP leadership, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Wednesday questioned TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu and JDU's Nitish Kumar on their allegiance, labeling a potential adversary as an autocrat whose support is pivotal for the next government.

Speaking to reporters, Raut conveyed his party's non-opposition should Congress figurehead Rahul Gandhi emerge as the prime ministerial candidate of the INDIA bloc. As INDIA bloc leaders convene in New Delhi, Raut emphasized that Prime Minister Modi must concede his moral defeat, highlighting BJP's failure to clinch a parliamentary majority.

Raut further criticized the prospects of an autocratic regime, suggesting that neither Naidu nor Kumar would align with such governance. Despite BJP securing 240 seats in the Lok Sabha election, the party fell 32 seats short of an outright majority. With alliances from Naidu's TDP and Kumar's JD(U), plus additional partners, the NDA narrowly crossed the majority threshold.