Mumbai: Days before the forthcoming winter session of Parliament, set to begin from November 18, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has turned the tables, rather, the seats on its former alliance partner of 30 years, the Shiv Sena, in both Houses. In a clear indication that the Sena is now excluded from the National Democratic Alliance, it has been banished from the treasury benches to the opposition, sources said on Saturday. The Sena is yet to formally announce its exit from the alliance.
The Sena will now sit in the Opposition, sources said, adding the new arrange-ment was a fallout of the regional outfit's decision to part ways with the BJP in Maharashtra.
The Sena has three MPs – Sanjay Raut, Anil Desai and Raj Kumar Dhoot in the Rajya Sabha and 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha.
On November 11, Sena leader Arvind Sawant resigned from his post as Union minister of heavy industries and public enterprises, after the Congress-NCP demanded the Sena snap ties with the NDA at the Centre.
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The changing of seats can be clearly viewed as payback by the BJP, following the Sena's affirmation on Saturday that its MPs would not attend the NDA constituents' meeting on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters, Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “The Sena will not attend the NDA meeting on Sunday. It has made up its mind that it will not stay in the alliance.”
