War of words between Shiv Sena and BJP to gain an upper hand over each other intensifies before assembly election.
The seat sharing issue has become a bone of contention between the BJP and Shiv Sena as both the parties have made no headway in this regard. Instead party workers are busy issuing statements which are likely strain relationship between the saffron parties ahead of the forthcoming assembly election. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut gave a befitting reply to BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari by saying that CM’s post will go to Sena. He also questioned who is Madhav Bhandari and said that nobody is aware about him. Earlier Bhandari had addressed Sanjay Raut as small leader and said that BJP would lead the government in the state.
“Shiv Sena and BJP relations are good… Chief Minister can be only from our party,” Mr Raut said.
Ramesh Solanki, Shiv Sena IT Cell member and Sena’s student youth wing’s general secretary said he is unaware about Madhav Bhandari, “First of all CM will be from Shiv Sena. Who is Madhav Bhandari? I don’t know him and have never heard about him.”
With elections in Maharashtra just a month away, the war of words between long-time allies BJP and Shiv Sena over which party should the chief ministerial candidate be from, has intensified.
“Talks are stopped… Our workers are angry. Sanjay Raut is not a big leader. The next government will be formed under the BJP’s leadership. Our national president (Amit Shah) had made this very clear while on his trip to Mumbai. And his decision is final,” said BJP Spokesperson Madhav Bhandari.
The BJP is demanding larger share of the state’s 288 seats and also credited Narendra Modi for the party’s impressive performance in Lok Sabha polls. It wants the Sena to accommodate other allies from its share of seats.
The BJP’s refusal to compromise telegraphs the party’s worry that conceding the Sena’s demands could mean giving up its claim on the Chief Minister’s post. Party workers are unhappy with Uddhav Thackeray’s comments to demean Prime Minister Narendra Modi and doesn’t want further seat sharing talks between two alliance partners. The results of the Maharashtra polls will be announced on October 19.
In the national election, the BJP won 23 of the state’s 48 seats. The Sena won 18. The Congress-NCP alliance, which has governed Maharashtra since 1999, won only six seats.
