Amit Shah rekindles BJP-Sena fallout at Maha rally: 'Balasaheb's principles compromised'

Lashing out at ex-ally Shiv Sena, Home Minister Amit Shah once again refuted Sena's claim that the BJP had offered to share the CM post, while addressing a rally in Sindhudurg. Shah reiterated that Fadnavis had been announced as the CM face and Sena had campaigned for votes using PM Modi's posters during the Maharashtra polls. The 35-year-old alliance between Sena and BJP ruptured post-polls in Maharashtra in 2019.

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Shah: 'Thackeray ditched all principles'

"You did rally with me & Modi Ji. We said Devendra Fadnavis is our leader & CM face, why didn't you say anything then? There wasn't any promise or talks. In greed of power, he had put all principles of Balasaheb in Tapi river & took over the power," said Shah at Sindhudurg.

Recently in September, ex-CM Devendra Fadnavis met with Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut at a luxury hotel in Mumbai and held a 2-hour meeting, rising to speculations of reconciliation. While this meeting between the former allies had set political circle atwitter, BJP Maharashtra spokesperson Keshav Upadhye said  Fadnavis met with Raut - Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana's executive editor for an interview. Though Fadnavis was likely to give Raut an interview after the Bihar polls, such an interview has not been held or aired till date.

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BJP-Sena fallout

Prior to the 2019 Maharashtra state polls, Shiv Sena had reiterated that it will accept only the 50:50 formula, while BJP denied ever having agreed to such a formula. It allegedly offered 13 cabinet portfolios to Sena while keeping 26 for its ministers. Apart from Sena's portfolio demand, the party had demanded a sharing of 2.5 years in the CM post too; this too was  refused by Devendra Fadnavis, stating, 'The next govt will be formed under a BJP CM.' With no respite to the deadlock, Sena allied with NCP-Congress to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance.

Amid their alliance talks, Fadnavis had unsuccessfully partnered with Ajit Pawar to be sworn-in as Maharashtra CM for mere 72 hours. Ajit Pawar rescinded his support after the Supreme Court ordered an open ballot floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly immediately, leading to Fadnavis and Pawar's resignation. Ushering the three-party government, Uddhav Thackeray was sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra on November 28, 2019.

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