"There are a lot of demands from our people there. We shall discuss it with party President and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and decide on whether to contest the Bihar Assembly polls or not," Raut told mediapersons.

 

On the move by ex-top police official of Bihar, former DGP Gupteshwar Pandey's decision to join politics, the Sena leader said he was free to do whatever he wants since that's his personal choice.

 

"Our objection was to the manner in which he painted the Mumbai Police in a bad light in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. He tried to drive a wedge between the police and people of the two states for his advantage when he was the DGP," Raut said.

 

To a question whether the Sushant case was a conspiracy to tarnish the image of state Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray, Raut replied in the affirmative, but declined to elaborate.

 

However, he pointed out that the Shiv Sena has emerged unscathed from the entire episode, but those who attempted to throw muck at the party, screaming at the top of their lungs on television channels, will meet a similar fate.

 

"They were criticising the Mumbai Police probe in the Sushant case. Now, the probe is with the CBI for over a month. The people want to know what's the outcome. If they (Sena critics) have the guts, then they should be asking questions to the CBI now, just as they demanded answers from Mumbai Police earlier," Raut dared.

 

Referring to the fracas surrounding his meeting with Bharatiya Janata Party's Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, Raut put at rest all speculation and claimed that "it was purely to finalise the interview schedule" between Sena and Fadnavis.

 

He reiterated that the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray -- comprising the Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress will complete its full five-year term, despite all effort by the state Opposition to topple the coalition