Shiv Sena on Thurday launched yet another attack on Bharatiya Janata Party accusing it of trying to poach its recently-elected lawmakers as the stand-off between the two warring allies over government formation in Maharashtara continued.
Partners of 30 years, BJP and Sena have been locked in a tussle over a power-sharing pact since the results of the Assembly elections were announced on October 24. While BJP is the single-largest party with 105 seats, Sena has 56 seats in the 288-member Assembly. The standoff has been over sharing the chief minister’s post and important ministerial berths, with Sena insisting that an agreement was reached on the same in pre-poll talks and BJP denying it.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, Sena said the people of Maharashtra want the chief minister to be from the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and also accused its ally of using “money power” to break the deadlock over government formation.
“The previous govt is trying to form the new government with money power. But no one is helping farmers hence farmers want a Sena CM…Some people are trying to win over new Sena MLAs to with money power. Such complaints are increasing. Sena will not allow a politics devoid of values in the state,” the editorial said.
Reacting to the editorial, state Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant tweeted: “Shiv Sena is an alliance partner of @BJP4India and part of #Mahayuti If it feels scared that #BJP will poach their MLAs, then we can very well understand how much #BJP is morally corrupt and why we must save Maharashtra from them. Does#Mahayuti hv moral rights to form govt now?”