24 October,2026 08:29 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sanjay Raut. File Pic
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Saturday alleged that a Maharashtra BJP MLC leaked the controversial audio clip released by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, describing the episode as a fallout of intense internal rivalry within the ruling party.
The purported recording allegedly refers to a Rs 500 crore payment to Jarange through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Its authenticity and the circumstances surrounding its release remain unverified.
Raut's allegation came hours after BJP leaders accused him of orchestrating the recording using artificial intelligence to defame the party. The competing claims have intensified tensions between the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, both constituents of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
"The clip was leaked by a BJP MLC. He was involved in the talks with Jarange. The CM showed him a lot of affection, which has backfired," Raut told reporters, without naming the legislator.
BJP MLC Prasad Lad, considered close to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had held discussions with Manoj Jarange during the activist's fast over the Maratha quota in August.
Earlier on Saturday, Lad had accused Raut of being the main conspirator behind the audio clip controversy. BJP chief spokesperson Navnath Ban had also alleged that Raut created the purported recording using AI and claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was behind a "contract" to defame the BJP.
Raut rejected the BJP's version and said the central question was who had leaked the recording.
Describing the episode as a consequence of internal rivalry, Raut alleged that competition within the BJP had become intense enough to result in the leak.
He said Fadnavis should first ensure that a case was registered before ordering a forensic examination of the audio clip. However, Raut claimed that the investigation would not "yield any results".
The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP also alleged that Fadnavis had lost control of the state and had failed in his roles as chief minister and home minister.
"If an internal clip is leaked, then the Home Department has gone against you (the CM)," Raut said, adding that the BJP had become a victim of a sting operation.
Raut further alleged that the "cold war" between Fadnavis and his deputy, Eknath Shinde, had reached its peak. He claimed that the two leaders could go to any lengths to undermine each other politically.
The controversy has exposed differences between the BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, with leaders from both sides trading accusations over the recording and its possible political implications.
Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam had earlier accused Jarange of colluding with a section of the BJP to politically "finish" a Maratha leader, an apparent reference to Shinde. BJP leaders, meanwhile, have maintained that the audio clip was part of an alleged conspiracy to damage the party and its alliance partners.
Fadnavis on Friday ordered a forensic examination of the audio clip after Jarange released it in Jalna on Thursday. The activist alleged that a conspiracy had been hatched to silence him and weaken the Maratha reservation agitation.
In the recording, a woman is purportedly heard claiming that Rs 500 crore had been delivered to Jarange through Shrikant Shinde. Other speakers are allegedly heard discussing ways to counter Jarange's political influence in the Marathwada region ahead of the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections.
The BJP has questioned the recording's authenticity, while Jarange has called for an impartial Special Investigation Team inquiry.
(With inputs from PTI)
