Shiv Sena chief Uddhav says BJP had decided to break 25-year-old alliance beforehand

Two days after the BJP broke the ties with its 25 year old ally, Shiv Sena, president Uddhav Thackeray, breaking his silence for the first time, blamed the BJP for ‘breaking’ the alliance. The Sena chief alleged that the BJP had pre-scripted the split.

“The plan to break the alliance was pre-planned. The Shiv Sena tried hard to ensure that the alliance remained in tact. However, they always wanted to break the alliance and made unreasonable demands right till the very end,” Thackeray said while addressing a rally at Mahalaxmi race course on Saturday evening. The 25-year-old Sena-BJP alliance fell apart on Thursday over the issue of seat sharing in the assembly polls.

He claimed that he had gone out of his way to part away with 18 seats from the Sena’s quota to ensure that the alliance prevails. “But, the demand of 30-35 seats from the BJP was impossible to concede. The Shiv Sena doesn’t operate a godown of assembly seats. After taking winnable Sena seats they offered us seats that we could never win,” Uddhav said while holding the BJP responsible for the break up.

Countering the BJP’s claim that he had walked out of the alliance because he wanted the chief minister’s post, Uddhav retorted, “If we asked for more seats to bag the CM’s post, then why did the BJP want more seats. Did they want to play marbles in Mantralaya after winning the assembly elections.” He further added that that though he never aspired to become the chief minister, he had now accepted the challenge and would ensure that a ‘Shiv Sena chief minister’ would rule Maharashtra after the polls.

BJP leaders have, since the break-up, blamed the Sena leadership for snapping the ties. “The negotiations over seat sharing were always struck to a figure and didn’t go beyond it. Sena never showed any flexibility on its stand and it created the atmosphere of distrust,” Devendra Fadnavis, state BJP president had said.

Hitting out at the BJP for stabbing in the Sena’s back Uddhav claimed that the break up of the saffron alliance amounts to breaking the backbone of hindutva in the country. He recalled that since the days of the 1992 riots, it was the Sena that has stood up for protecting Hindus regardless of their linguistic identities.

While Uddhav did not directly attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he questioned the ‘Modi wave’. “I had no differences with Modi. But, his party has kicked us in the back despite 25-years of dear friendship,” he said pointing out to the recent by-poll results that saw the BJP receive a drubbing in many states. “What happened to the Modi wave in the by-polls? There was a Modi wave in the Lok Sabha elections but the situation on the ground has changed now. Lok Sabha election is now history. I urge BJP leaders to keep their feet on the ground and come down from the air,” Uddhav said hitting out at state BJP leaders.

Uddhav declared that the Sena would not filed candidates against Munde family in the assembly and Lok Sabha by-poll election. “We will not contest against Pankaja and Pritam Munde. We have family ties with the Munde’s and we will not let politics take over the relation,” he said.

After the two major alliances in state ended, many leaders have switched the sides from all political parties for the better poll prospects and Sena is worst hit by it. In an emotional appeal to Shiv Sainiks he said that the polls would test their loyalty. “There is only one wave in Maharashtra. We will now show the BJP what a wave means. The BJP should rule India and keep out of the affairs in the state,” Uddhav affirmed.

While Uddhav took on the BJP through his 40-minute speech, he hardly targeted the Congress-NCP.

BJP leaders had said that it would maintain the friendly relations with Sena and would not criticize the Sena during the assembly election. However, Uddhav made it pretty clear on Saturday that BJP and its state leaders would be the target of Sainiks in the run-up to the polls.