Shiv Sena slams BJP over NCP support, likens Pawar's party to mouse

Mumbai: Firing a fresh salvo ahead of Maharashtra BJP government's trust vote on Wednesday, Shiv Sena has warned its former ally that it will be disrespecting people's mandate if it takes support of NCP which "nibbled the state coffers like a mouse".

"(Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis once said that he wants to run the government for the people. But how do you plan to run the government taking support of a party that has been discarded by the people of the state?”

"Will you win the trust vote taking support of a party which has nibbled at the state coffers like a mouse? Will you take support of a mouse?", the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

Taunting its former ally, the party said the BJP is ready to take Sena's support to save face during the trust vote, but is unrelenting on carrying forward talks regarding Sena's role in the state government.

"BJP asks us to give it support on the basis of similar ideologies and principles. You (BJP) also know that the ideology of NCP is only to loot Maharashtra," it alleged.

"But you (BJP) have nothing to do with that? You are ready to take their unconditional support," the Sena said while asking the BJP "on whose tunes it plans to dance now".

It is a strange scenario where the party with largest mandate is joining hands with a party that fared badly during the recent Assembly elections, the Sena said.

"Why was the NCP thrown to the fourth position this time? What kind of principles does the BJP talk about when it agrees to take support of a party which was relegated to the fourth position by the people," it said.

"Saving the government is the only priority of BJP, for which it will also take support of the MIM which is working towards vitiating the minds of people," the Sena alleged.