Sanjay Raut Slams Ex-CJI Chandrachud For Empowering Defectors: 'His Name Will Be Written In Black Letters'

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday accused former Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud of empowering defectors by failing to decide on disqualification petitions.

His remarks followed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance's humiliating defeat in the Maharashtra assembly election.

Photo Credit: PTI

Raut asserted that Justice Chandrachud's legacy would be tarnished, saying, "His name will be written in black letters in history. He has removed the fear of the law from defectors," as reported by news agency PTI.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader alleged that Chandrachud's inaction on disqualification cases left opportunities for defections wide open.

In the recent elections, Raut's party secured only 20 out of the 95 seats it contested, while the Congress managed 16 out of 101 and Sharad Pawar's NCP (SP) won just 10 seats.

The backdrop of this criticism is the 2022 rebellion by Eknath Shinde, who led a faction of Shiv Sena MPs and MLAs to ally with the BJP, ultimately ousting Uddhav Thackeray from power and assuming the role of Maharashtra's chief minister.

Although Thackeray sought intervention from the Supreme Court, the matter was handed over to the assembly Speaker, Rahul Narwekar, who subsequently recognised the Shinde-led faction as the official Shiv Sena.

Commenting on the election outcome, Raut said, "We are sad but not disappointed. We will not leave the fight incomplete. Division of votes was also a factor, and the RSS played an important role in the election. The poisonous campaign impacted us negatively."

He also took a swipe at the BJP, suggesting that the swearing-in ceremony for the new government be held in Gujarat.

The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance achieved a landslide victory, securing over 230 of the 288 seats, with the BJP emerging as the largest party.

Justice Chandrachud retired on 10 November.