A legislator of the ruling Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction courted controversy by allegedly remarking he would “hang himself” if Narendra Modi did not return as Prime Minister after the 2024 Lok Sabha election.
Santosh Bangar, the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA from Kalamnuri in Maharashtra’s Hingoli district, made this bizarre statement while reacting after Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s verdict on January 10, which favoured the Shinde faction and declared it as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena as opposed to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena (UBT).
“The public know which is the real Shiv Sena. They know they will vote for us…I am thumping my chest and proclaiming that Narendra Modi will be the PM after the elections this year. If he does not become the PM, then this Santosh Bangar will hang himself in the chowk,” Mr. Bangar said during the celebrations in Hingoli following the Speaker’s verdict.
Mr. Bangar is known for his extravagant remarks and flamboyant actions, which have been the subject of much controversy in the past.
In August last year, he was booked by the Kalamnuri police for allegedly brandishing a sword during a festive rally.
In August 2022, a video of him slapping a catering manager of a midday meal programme for labourers had gone viral.
He justified his action by declaring that fighting injustice was the Shiv Sena’s job.
“I am a Shiv Sainik of Balasaheb Thackeray. If someone commits an injustice, I will raise my voice against him,” Mr. Bangar had said at the time.
Hardly had the embers of the slapping controversy died down that the MLA landed in more trouble the very next month (September 2022) after the Hingoli District Health Officers Association alleged that Mr. Bangar had used abusive language against Dr. Nitin Ambadekar, the State director of health.
In their letter to CM Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadanvis, the Association alleged that Mr. Bangar had misbehaved with Dr. Ambadekar, while demanding action against the MLA.
