New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has alleged in a forthcoming English version of his book that former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned in 2025 under pressure from the enforcement directorate (ED), linking the alleged move to what he described as Dhankhar’s independent political actions against the Modi government.According to a report by The Times of India, the claims are made in Raut’s book Unlikely Paradise, originally published in Marathi in 2025 during his time in prison. An expanded English version, which includes additional incidents, is set to be released on Monday. Raut was arrested by the ED in August 2022 in connection with the alleged Patra Chawl redevelopment case in Mumbai and spent over three months in judicial custody before being granted bail in November that year. He has denied wrongdoing.The book claims that rumours had circulated that Dhankhar and his wife had sold their Jaipur house and transferred part of the proceeds overseas, and alleges that the ED, along with other investigative agencies, prepared a file to press charges against him.“When whispers emerged of Dhankhar’s independent political moves against the Modi government, ED reportedly presented him with the file, pressuring him to resign,” the book stated, as quoted by ToI. “His refusal to comply initially led to intensified scrutiny, leaving him visibly uneasy.”Dhankhar stepped down from office in 2025 before completing his full term, citing health concerns in his resignation letter.Raut also alleges that former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa faced action from investigative agencies after dissenting against alleged electoral violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah.“Based on complaints citing eight breaches of the Election Code of India, Lavasa initiated action to restore public trust in the ECI. Despite advice to remain silent, he refused to yield to pressure. Predictably, Lavasa and his family faced severe repercussions for his dissent,” Raut wrote.The book alleged that raids by the ED and summons issued to Lavasa’s family “compelled his resignation” in 2020, adding that he remained under scrutiny even after that.It also recounts claims from the period of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, stating that there had been discussions about the possibility of legal action against Modi, then Gujarat chief minister, in connection with the post-Godhra riots. It alleges that then Union minister Sharad Pawar opposed such a move.“In a cabinet meeting, Pawar had opined, ‘It’s inappropriate to jail a democratically elected chief minister, regardless of political differences’,” the book claims, adding that this view “resonated with many”.Raut further alleges that both Pawar and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray helped Amit Shah secure bail when he faced multiple cases, with the CBI opposing relief. The book claims that a Maharashtra cadre officer in the CBI had opposed bail and that Pawar intervened at Modi’s request.It also alleges that Shah, facing what the book describes as “grave danger”, approached Thackeray for assistance. “If you speak to the judge, he will listen and not defy your wishes,” the book claims Shah told Thackeray.“It would be unethical to disclose what followed. Balasaheb summoned Manohar Joshi, provided the judge’s name and instructed him to discuss the matter, concluding, ‘You may hold any position but remember that you too are a Hindu’,” the book claims, adding that “that single call altered Amit Shah’s political trajectory”.After the 2019 Maharashtra assembly election, a dispute over power-sharing broke the BJP–Shiv Sena alliance, and Uddhav Thackeray formed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress.BJP broke with the Shiv Sena after the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, when a dispute over power-sharing led Uddhav Thackeray to form a government with the NCP and Congress. In 2022, Eknath Shinde’s rebellion split Shiv Sena and brought down the Thackeray government with BJP support. The Election Commission later recognised the Shinde faction as the official Shiv Sena and allotted it the party’s name and symbol, leaving Thackeray’s group to function as Shiv Sena (UBT).BJP remains firmly allied with Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction in the ruling Mahayuti coalition, which won a majority in the 2024 Maharashtra assembly elections, installing Devendra Fadnavis as chief minister and Shinde as deputy chief minister.