'How long will Nitish last?': Shiv Sena taunts BJP over 'sacrifice' of giving CM's post to JD(U)

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Wednesday taunted the BJP for the “sacrifice” of giving CM’s post in Bihar to a party which stood third, while denying the same to the Sena after Maharashtra elections last year. An editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘‘Saamana’’ also wondered how long Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar will hold ground under the “burden of favour” and if he will take a new route. In the recently concluded Bihar polls, the BJP bagged 74 seats, while its ally JD(U) won 43. The RJD emerged as the single-largest party with 75 seats in the 243-member Assembly. After the Assembly polls in Maharashtra last year, the BJP won 105 seats, while its then ally Shiv Sena bagged 56. The two parties, however, parted ways following differences over sharing the chief ministerial post. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena later joined hands with the NCP and Congress to form government in Maharashtra. “The Shiv Sena was not given the chief minister’s post in Maharashtra after BJP got more seats. But gave the crown of chief minister’s post to the party which was relegated to third position in Bihar. What generosity!” “There will be shortage of ink to describe this sacrifice in politics,” the ‘‘Saamana’’ editorial said. It said BJP leaders like Chandrakant Patil and Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari are of the view that the state is being run by NCP chief Sharad Pawar. “All these (leaders) should keep an eye on who exactly will run Nitish Kumar’s government in Bihar now on,” it said.