Rift between BJP and Shiv Sena over Maharashtra CM post out in the open after Uddhav Thackeray hits out at BJP leader over matter

Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray hit out at BJP leaders on Saturday for their comments on the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and the Chief Ministerial candidate. The Sena chief also spoke out against interference of other BJP leaders on the matter.

Earlier on Saturday, Girish Mahajan, the BJP legislator from Jamner asserted that it was clear that the Chief Minister would be from his party. Reacting to this statement, Thackeray slammed Mahajan and said that talks for the Chief Ministerial candidate are already in place:

The alliance talks with the BJP are already done with BJP president Amit Shah and CM Devendra Fadnavis. No one else should put their oar into the matter.

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Earlier on June 12, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut said that his party wanted Aaditya Thackeray as the next Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Answering the rumours about Aaditya contesting the state elections for the CM post, Raut said:

"Uddhav Thackeray will decide whether Aaditya will contest or not but Maharashtra needs a young CM like Aaditya Thackeray and we believe that the people of Maharashtra will accept Aaditya as their CM," he said.

BJP and Shiv Sena have been at loggerheads over the chief minister post for Maharashtra.

On June 9, Home Minister Amit Shah had chaired a meeting with all leaders to discuss key strategies ahead of the assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand. Following which, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has expressed his disappointment over Mungatiwar's statement where he had allegedly said that BJP will have the right to the CM post. But Thackeray has maintained that as per the alliance and seat-sharing deal, both the parties will share the chief ministerial post for 2.5 years each. 

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Sena has constantly maintained that the next CM will be from their outfit. Yuva Sena Secretary Varun Sardesai said the post will be rotated between the two allies. In a tweet, he said that:

"We have decided."

In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 23 seats and Shiv Sena won 18 seats. In the last assembly elections, the Shiv Sena contested 282 seats and won only 65 while the BJP won 122  seats out of contested 260.

However, sources said that tensions are mounting within the Sena as assembly elections approach in the state.