MUMBAI: Many in the Shiv Sena circles called him the lone crusader who could hold a press conference daily the whole year round and travel to multiple cities to network across the political spectrum on the same day. With Shiv Sena MP and Saamna executive editor Sanjay Raut arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the party is already feeling the vacuum. Can they find a new leader to step into his shoes and wear his multiple hats?
Raut was not just the Sena's most vocal anti-BJP and anti-Modi voice, he enjoyed proximity to NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and access to top leaders across parties including the likes of Mamta Banerjee and K Chandrashekhar Rao. He was seen to play a key role in stitching together the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition in the state.
Sena insiders said South Mumbai MP Arvind Sawant is likely to hold fort for Raut in Mumbai, while Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi was now expected to cover for Raut in Delhi. But several leaders admitted that it may be almost impossible for the Sena to find a replacement for him. With his acerbic barbs, many thought Raut had the ability to dominate the headlines.
After the MVA government formed in 2019, Raut's popularity in the party peaked. Memes on him went viral and his photographs were being used as wallpapers on mobile phones.
"We called him the newsmaker. For now, no one can replace the man who could make news with every tweet and byte," a Sena functionary said.
Raut, 59, got a fourth term in Rajya Sabha last month, indicating his clout and utility. On Monday, Sena party president Uddhav Thackeray, who visited Raut's residence and met his family, said he was proud of "Sanjay" and described him as an old friend.
Before joining Saamna, Raut worked for a Marathi weekly called Lok Prabha. He started out as a crime reporter and his cover story on gangster Rama Naik, in the late 1980s, catapulted him into the limelight, according to Sena insiders. Thackeray was so impressed that Raut was made editor at the age of 29. Raut hasn't looked back since. Even though he has crossed the party line at times and the Sena has had to face embarrassment because of his statements and editorials, the party has let him lead the Saamna.