Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray briefed the media on Thursday and launched an attack on the BJP. This comes on the day of the counting of Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha bypoll results where the Shiv Sena claimed discrepancies from rounds 20-24, according to CNN-News18. While the BJP won the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll by 29,572 votes, the NCP is leading by 20,583 votes in Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha bypoll in Maharashtra. In recent times, Shiv Sena and BJP have been exchanging barbs at each other ahead of the Palghar bypolls. Earlier on 24 Thackeray had taken a dig at Narendra Modi and said that the prime minister remained in the country only during elections and leaves as soon as they get over. “Our prime minister keeps travelling abroad and they (BJP) say the country is changing…He comes back only during election times. But once the polls are over, he is out again…,” Thackeray said, while addressing a rally at Vasai in support of his party’s candidate, Shrinivas Wanaga, for the 28 May Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll. The same day, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had launched a blistering attack on the Shiv Sena and accusing the Thackeray-led party of “back-stabbing” the BJP. He said Sena’s actions are contrary to teachings of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, revered as Hindutva idol by the saffron party. Addressing a campaign rally for the 28 May Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll in Virar, Adityanath said the country can progress only under Modi’s leadership. He targetted bickering alliance partner Shiv Sena for “poking its nose” in the BJP’s internal affairs, by fielding late MP Chintaman Wanaga’s son Srinivas for the byelection. During the bypoll campaigns, Shiv Sena had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “betraying” its late Palghar MP Chintaman Wanga by turning its back on his family and fielding Congress deserter for the Lok Sabha seat bypoll. The bickering ally claimed the BJP did not to bother to take care of Wanga’s family and that none of its central leaders turned up to pay last respects to the parliamentarian after his death in New Delhi in January 2018. With inputs from agencies
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