Former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on the first day of the new year today slammed its former ally, Shiv Sena, for insulting the mandate and for being dishonest with the people of the state. Fadnavis alleged that Shiv Sena now has to follow directives from Matoshree in Delhi (without naming Congress to party interim President Sonia Gandhi) as directives do not come from the Matoshree which is the residence of Sena supremo late Bal Thackeray where the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray resides.
He said BJP-Sena alliance had received the mandate but BJP despite winning 105 seats is now out of power. ''Why Shiv Sena did not remember PM Modi at the time of government formation? Shiv Sena instead joined hands with Congress and NCP to form the government,'' he noted.
''Uddhav Thackeray had promised Sena chief Bal Thackeray that there will be Shiv Sena CM one day. But had he promised that party's CM will be on the support of Congress and NCP?'' Fadnavis asked. He claimed that Shiv Sena led Maha Vikas Aghadi government will not complete its tenure.
Fadnavis attacked MVA government for the crop loan waiver announced recently saying that the government has betrayed farmers who are in distress. ''Betrayal is a base for the MVA government. The party has betrayed the people's mandate and now farmers also,'' he said.
Fadnavis said in the Assembly polls held in October last year, the BJP won 70 per cent of the seats that it contested and emerged as the single largest party, while the Shiv Sena bagged only 45 per cent of the seats that it fought.
"Citizens gave a clear mandate to the BJP-Shiv Sena combine, but unfortunately due to betrayal by the Sena, which joined hands with the NCP and Congress, the BJP has to remain out of power," the leader of opposition in the Assembly said.
Hitting out at Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray for "betraying" the BJP, he said from day one (since Sena formed government with the NCP and Congress), the three parties were not able to decide the names of ministers.
"Even after the selection of ministers, there is growing discontent among the Shiv Sena leaders and activists, and in case of the Congress, its activists have even gone to the extent of ransacking their party offices," he said.
Notably, some supporters of Congress MLA Sangram Thopte attacked the party office in Pune on Tuesday to protest against his non-inclusion in the Maharashtra ministry.
Fadnavis said people of Maharashtra gave a "clear majority to the BJP-Shiv Sena combine" to form government, but later things took a different turn and citizens have a witness to the political developments in the state.
(With inputs from Agencies)
