Being a great leader, the nation wants Rahul Gandhi to be our next prime minister: Sanjay Raut

Lok Sabha elections 2024: Sanjay Raut, the head of the Shiv Sena (UBT), called Rahul Gandhi of the Congress a “big leader” on Monday and said that the nation wants him to succeed Prime Minister Modi. The statement was made the day after the end of the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, during which the opposition I.N.D.I.A. bloc blew a poll bugle during a gathering in Shivaji Park, Mumbai. Speaking at the event was Rahul Gandhi as well.

Regarding Rahul Gandhi, Sanjay Raut
The head of the Shiv Sena (UBT) declared during a news conference, “Rahul Gandhi is a prominent leader of the country.” He is seen by the nation as the future prime minister. Rahul Gandhi is a kind man and a capable leader. People find him appealing. All of us support him.”

Raut continued his speech at the Shivaji Park gathering by claiming that the opposition is up against invisible powers. “We planned a rally for the INDIA alliance yesterday. We are engaged in combat with invisible forces. The Congress organised the event, and Rahul Gandhi received a hearty welcome. At the rally were prominent opposition personalities, making it an important event. After the election declaration, this rally was our INDIA alliance’s first joint gathering.”

Outburst on Election Bonds
Noting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s previous description of the NCP as the “National Corrupt Party” in Maharashtra—a term Raut now feels applies to the BJP—he said that the BJP is enmeshed in corruption. He said that the BJP was encouraging corruption within its ranks and allying with dishonest people. He said that BJP leaders would see corruption glaring back at them in the mirror if they were to reflect.

The Supreme Court declared the Center’s electoral bonds programme, which permitted anonymous political donations, to be “unconstitutional” and halted it. The EC was also forced to reveal the names, amounts, and beneficiaries of all donations made by contributors.

On March 12, the State Bank of India released the electoral bonds data to the public and shared it with the Election Commission under a Supreme Court order.

The data indicates that between April 12, 2019, and January 24, 2024, the Bharatiya Janata Party collected funds via electoral bonds totaling more than Rs 6060.5 crore, the most of any political party. The Congress collected Rs 1,421.9 crore via this method, making the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) the largest receiver at Rs 1,609.50 crore.

During PM Modi’s rally, Raut said that it is admirable that when the electoral code of conduct is implemented, Narendra Modi would no longer be the prime minister. He did, however, voice alarm about Modi’s continued use of official resources for political campaigning, even after the code of conduct went into effect. Raut emphasised that Modi’s use of government planes for announcements in the South might be seen as a breach of the code of conduct and requested the Election Commission to take note of this. “The Prime Minister is endorsing his party via the government apparatus. The code of conduct has not been broken in this instance. This should be seen by the Election Commission,” he continued.

Regarding seven-phase elections
Speaking about the seven-phase elections, Raut said that they are consistent with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) structure. “More time is needed for the massive campaigning operations that include prominent figures like Amit Shah and Narendra Modi, in addition to the administrative tasks of planning rallies and distributing funding. To meet these needs, the Election Commission has chosen to extend the election process,” he said.

Notably, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday (March 16) that the Lok Sabha elections would take place in seven stages starting on April 19 and that the results will be declared on June 4.

April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1 are the dates of the remaining stages. On April 19, assembly elections are scheduled in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, and on May 13, in Andhra Pradesh. On May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1, there will be four phases of elections for the Odisha legislature. At a news conference, Kumar said that bypolls will be conducted for 26 assembly seats. He was accompanied by two new Election Commissioners, Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. On June 4, there will be a vote count.