Amidst loud cheers and sloganeering from party activists, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday announced the breaking of alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party in the coming civic polls, including in Mumbai, in Maharashtra.
Sena, which shares power with the BJP in both the State and Centre will, however, remain in the governments at present.
Mr Thackeray said it was the time to take a decision. “How can I watch silently when you are intruding my home? I need all the strength from shiv sainiks. In future, the Sena alone will ensure saffron flag flies high in the State. I will not go to anyone asking and begging for an alliance. I will not survive on someone’s leftover. From now on, the Sena will contest municipal corporation and zilla parishad polls on its own. The battle is on and Sena activists are my strength who stand with me in unity,” he said at a party function in Goregaon area.
Referring to the 25 years of alliance with the BJP, he said his party wasted all those years by sticking with the BJP.
The Sena and the BJP had begun talks over sharing of seats two weeks ago, with each party claiming that it was positive about the alliance. The talks, however came to a standstill, with the Sena offering only 60 seats to the BJP out of 227, which the latter saw as an ‘insult.’
Mr Thackeray criticised the BJP-led State government for the ordinance that prohibited photos of gods and goddesses in government offices. “They [BJP] are hellbent on removing photos. First Mahatma Gandhi was removed from a poster and instead Narendra Modi was installed. But Modi knows he is going to lose Uttar Pradessh elections. And as he knows, the BJP has remembered Ram, through Ram Mandir,” he said.
Ridiculing the BJP’s transparency call ahead of the BMC polls, Mr Thackeray said that he had absolutely no problem with transparency. “But will that transparency be seen in the functioning of the State and the Central governments?” he asked.
Reacting to Mr Thackeray's announcement, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis tweeted, saying, "Power is not an achievement but means of a development. Providing transparent administration is key of our government.Those who want, with them, those who do not want, without them.Change would certainly take place."
