Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday wished Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut a speedy recovery, shortly after the latter announced that he was stepping away from public life for a while due to a “serious health issue.”
“Praying for your speedy recovery and good health, Sanjay Raut Ji,” Modi posted on X.
Acknowledging the gesture, Raut replied in Hindi, “Respected Prime Minister Ji, thank you! My family is grateful to you! Jai Hind! Jai Maharashtra!”
Earlier on Friday, Raut, a Rajya Sabha MP and one of the most prominent faces of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena, informed his followers on X that his health had “suddenly worsened” and that he was currently undergoing treatment. “You have all loved and trusted me. But I have developed serious health issues and am undergoing treatment. I will come out of this,” he wrote, expressing hope to regain good health by next year. “As per medical advice, I have been asked not to step out or mingle in public.”
Raut was expected to participate in an Opposition protest against the Election Commission on November 1, but his temporary withdrawal from public engagements has prompted concern.
His break comes at a politically sensitive time, as Maharashtra gears up for a series of crucial local body elections, municipal council polls anticipated in mid-November, Zilla Parishad elections in December, and the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls likely in January.
The BMC, which the undivided Shiv Sena controlled for over two decades, remains the most crucial political and symbolic battleground for the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction following the 2022 party split. As a key strategist and one of the most vocal voices defending Thackeray, Raut’s absence in the run-up to these polls will be keenly felt within the party.
Raut, known for his relentless and often sharp criticism of Prime Minister Modi and the BJP-led central government, expressed confidence that he would recover fully soon and return to public life with renewed vigour.
