'He is our guide, not opponent': Sanjay Raut praises Sharad Pawar amid row over Shinde felicitation

NEW DELHI: Days after criticizing NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar for honouring Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday likened Pawar to Maratha general

Mahadji Shinde

, who conquered Delhi in the 18th century.
Sharing the stage with Pawar at a book release function, the Rajya Sabha MP Raut praised the NCP (SP) chief and described him as the leader Maharashtra looks forward to in the national capital.
"Sharad Pawar is not our opponent and never an enemy. He is our guide and our leader. He is our Mahadji Shinde," Raut said after releasing the book 'Sansad Te Central Vista (From Parliament to Central Vista)' by Nileshkumar Kulkarni.
Last month, Shiv Sena (UBT) opposed Pawar's felicitation of Eknath Shinde, who became Maharashtra's chief minister in 2022 with BJP's support after toppling the Uddhav Thackeray-led government. Shinde received the Mahadji Shinde award from a Pune-based NGO.

"You are honouring those who broke Shiv Sena; this has hurt us. Politics in Delhi may be different, but this has hurt us. Some things are to be avoided in politics,” Raut had said. “Maharashtra politics is going in a very strange direction... We feel Pawar should not have attended the event,” he added.
Raut noted that Maratha generals were kingmakers in Delhi and appointed rulers after conquering it twice.
"However, if someone comes to Delhi with the intention to settle here permanently, he is unable to do so," Raut said.
"This is a city of transition. Outsiders come here, rule and go back. Those who are ruling Delhi today will also have to return. Some have returned to Rajasthan, some to Maharashtra and some will return to Gujarat," he added.
Raut also said that betrayal and conspiracy are part of life in Delhi.
Pawar recalled his first visit to Delhi in 1962-63 for a Congress meeting, where he and his colleagues were awestruck upon seeing Jawaharlal Nehru in person.