Eknath Shinde wanted to join Congress in past, claims Sanjay Raut
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Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed on Saturday that former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde wanted to join the Congress in the past.
Though Raut didn't mention the year or month when Shinde, who split the undivided Shiv Sena in June 2022, apparently planned the switch, he invoked the late Congress leader Ahmed Patel.
"I know what all was going on. Ahmed Patel is not around now and hence I don't want to say anything more because he is not there to substantiate this,'' Raut told reporters.
Patel died on November 25, 2020.
When probed further, Raut said, "Ask (senior Congress leader and ex-chief minister) Prithviraj Chavan about it".
When contacted for his reaction by PTI, Chavan declined to comment.
Shinde was not immediately available for his reaction.
Former Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole had caused a flutter with his "offer" to Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar (of NCP) to switch to the opposition alliance with the promise of the "rotational post of the chief minister". He made these comments during Holi celebrations.
When asked to react, Raut said nothing is impossible in politics.
"I am speechless. The only thing I can say is that nothing is impossible in politics," he added.
Raut said no one had imagined that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would be formed in 2019 or that an "unconstitutional" government would take charge in 2022 (under Shinde) or Devendra Fadnavis get an absolute majority in 2024.
He alleged that Shinde had nothing to do with the saffron flag of Balasaheb Thackeray.
''Shinde and Ajit Pawar (who split Nationalist Congress Party in 2023) are carrying the flags of the BJP," the Shiv Sena (MP) claimed.
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Justice Nagarathna dissents on SC collegium’s recommendation of Justice Pancholi
Dissent cites seniority concerns, Gujarat High Court’s over-representation
New Delhi: Supreme Court judge B.V. Nagarathna has recorded a dissent note against the collegium’s recommendation to elevate Patna High Court Chief Justice Vipul Manubhai Pancholi to the apex court, The Indian Express reported.
The five-member collegium, comprising Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, J.K. Maheshwari, and Nagarathna, reached the decision with a 4–1 split. Justice Nagarathna, the lone woman on the bench, opposed Pancholi’s elevation, citing concerns over seniority and regional representation.
Justice Pancholi ranks 57th on the all-India seniority list of high court judges. Justice Nagarathna reportedly objected to the move, noting that it came less than three months after another judge from the Gujarat High Court, Justice N.V. Anjaria, was elevated to the Supreme Court. She argued that advancing Pancholi would bypass several senior judges and further increase Gujarat’s representation at the top court, while other high courts remain underrepresented.
Her dissenting note, according to reports, emphasized that such decisions could undermine the credibility of the collegium system and have long-term consequences for the administration of justice.
Justice Pancholi, who served nearly two decades in the Gujarat High Court, was transferred to Patna High Court in July 2023 and appointed its Chief Justice in July 2025. His elevation, along with that of Justice Anjaria, was intended to maintain Gujarat’s representation in the Supreme Court following the retirements of Justices M.R. Shah and Bela Trivedi earlier this year.
With a sanctioned strength of 34 judges, the Supreme Court follows criteria of seniority, merit, integrity, and regional balance in appointments. Justice Nagarathna’s dissent highlights ongoing debates about diversity and fairness in judicial elevations.
