After former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan quit the Congress party, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that Chavan might now stake a claim to the Congress party and its emblem, the `hand.` Raut drew comparisons with recent political defections in Maharashtra, implying that such an outcome was possible.

Raut expressed surprise at Chavan`s unexpected exit from the Congress and questioned whether he would follow in the footsteps of Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, who successfully claimed the Shiv Sena party emblem after breaking from their respective parties. Raut`s remarks highlighted the state`s changing political allegiances, per ANI report.