New Delhi: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale and Republican Party of India (RPI) chief Ramdas Athawale on Monday said that Shiv Sena had betrayed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the post of Chief Ministership.
His remarks came in the backdrop of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut’s claim of not betraying anyone.
Speaking to ANI Athawale said, “Sanjay Raut may keep on saying that his government is good but the truth is different. Sanjay Raut says that they have not cheated but the truth is that Shiv Sena has betrayed BJP.”
Shiv Sena formed an alliance with Congress and NCP and formed Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government which is led by Uddhav Thackeray.
Athawale said that BJP never promised Chief Minister’s post to Shiv Sena and claimed that it is Shiv Sena who created a rift with BJP.
He said, “I have worked with both Shiv Sena and BJP and I know that the Chief Minister’s post was not promised to Shiv Sena by Amit Shah ji, despite that Shiv Sena made a lot of requests and demanded Chief Minister’s post for two and a half years. Shiv Sena created a rift with BJP and then left. So I am saying Shiv Sena has betrayed BJP.”
“I think the people of Maharashtra know how good the government of Maharashtra is? The people of Maharashtra know what work they have done in two and a half years. That is why it is not right to say that the state government is good,” he added.
Earlier on Sunday, claiming that Shiv Sena never betrayed anyone, party leader Sanjay Raut had said that since the BJP did not honour its commitment made to the Sena, Maharashtra got a “good government” in the form of the MVA.
“Shiv Sena has never betrayed anyone. But since BJP did not honour the commitment made to our party, the state could get a good government in the form of MVA. Now, BJP will never come back to power in Maharashtra,” he said.
The BJP and the Shiv Sena had fought the Maharashtra Assembly elections together in October and won 105 and 56 seats respectively. However, the two parties parted ways over the sharing of the chief minister’s post.
After days of the political impasse and high-voltage drama, the Shiv Sena finally formed the government along with the Congress and NCP, with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray heading the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance government.
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