It’s just been a little over 48 hours since Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut blamed the Kumbh Mela and ‘other states’ for the surge in new coronavirus cases in Maharashtra. During a media interaction, he boasted of how his state under the impeccable leadership of Uddhav Thackeray imposed restrictions for Gudi Padva, one of the biggest festivals of the state.
However, the very next day the Shiv Sena leader was seen conducting rallies and roadshows in Belagavi in the bordering state of Karnataka for the upcoming bypoll.
Belagavi: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut held a roadshow yesterday campaigning for Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti candidate Shubham Shelke in the Belagavi Lok Sabha bypoll pic.twitter.com/A2RZmajiua
— ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2021
The visuals from the rallies of the Shiv Sena leader have left the citizens irked for the callousness shown by Raut during his rallies. To top it all, the MP has been sharing and retweeting news pieces and photos of the rally on his Twitter timeline.
Ironically, Raut’s fellow party member Priyanka Chaturvedi was seen taking a jibe at the BJP for conducting political rallies in farway states amidst the second wave of the pandemic in a rather poetic tweet.
इलेक्शन का उत्सव रुकना नहीं चाहिए।
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) April 11, 2021
कोविड का तांडव देश में चल ही रहा है । https://t.co/COPWE678kG
She also requested the EC to implement Covid appropriate norms for the rally but sadly failed to caution her party leader and colleague.
Dear @ECISVEEP ,
— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) April 11, 2021
Are lives more important or these election congregations? With the numbers across the country hitting the roof, shouldn’t you step in and implement COVID appropriate norms strictly? Most of the election going states have cut down testing, please do what is right
The netizens were quick to remind both the leaders of their stand on the rising Covid cases in their state as well as the country.
Hello @priyankac19 pic.twitter.com/8wSpGyhWse
— thejadooguy (@JadooShah) April 15, 2021
Another netizen questioned the leader for blaming other states while flouting the norms himself and also shared some images from the rally.
No shame left will question everyone but themselves flaunting norms@priyankac19 🙉🙈🙊#sanjayRaut #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/76uCMc86Ee
— Nandini Idnani (@idnani_nandini) April 15, 2021
Bypoll election in Belagavi
The Belagavi Lok Sabha bypoll is scheduled to be conducted on April 17. While the face-off is primarily between the BJP and the Congress, Shiv Sena is looking to play the spoilsport by extending its support to the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti.
“Shiv Sena will campaign for the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti candidate Shubham Shelke in the Belagavi Lok Sabha bypoll,” Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said in Belagavi on Wednesday.
It is imperative to note that the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti party acts as a single issue political party demanding the merger of Belagavi district in Maharashtra cutting it off from Karanataka.
The bypoll was necessitated after Minister of State for Railways Suresh Angadi lost his life to Covid-19 last year.
