Maharashtra Bypoll Results Fallout: CM Devendra Fadnavis Downplays Shiv Sena's Remarks; Believes Alliance Will Continue
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis looked in damage control mode and did try to calm the escalating dissent in the Shiv Sena ranks, later in the evening.
Mumbai, May 31: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had a bad day at the office as their long-time ally Shiv Sena hinted at parting ways, on Thursday. Also, the party under the leadership of Amit Shah failed to win more than two seats out of 14 seats, for which the bypolls’ results were declared by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis did try to calm the escalating dissent in the Shiv Sena ranks, later in the evening. A composed-looking Fadanavis said, “We are not against the BJP - Shiv Sena alliance and neither do we believe that our alliance will break.”
Talking about the emerging ruptures in the 25-year-old alliance with the Shiv Sena, Fadnavis said that the effort to save the alliance should be made from both the sides. Read what Maharashtra CM had to say about the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance, here:
After the BJP emerged victorious in the Palghar constituency (in Maharashtra), earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena was a miffed unit. Their chief Uddhav Thackeray wore a look of dissent as he presided over a press conference. The level of frustration, of simmering tensions, was so much so that Uddhav alleged the Election Commission to be hand-in-glove with the BJP.
The matters went bad to worse when BJP’s ally, Shiv Sena, derided Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s comment on Chhatrapati Shivaji. The Sena chief had said, “Yogi Adityanath is losing in his own state and he is coming to campaign here (Maharashtra). The voters have shown him his place.”
The results of the 14 bypoll elections were announced by the Election Commission on Thursday. Out of the 14 seats, four seats were of Lok Sabha, while the remaining 10 were of different State Assemblies.
The BJP, however, managed to secure victory in only two constituencies (Palghar – Lok Sabha and Tharali – Uttarakhand State Assembly) out of the 14. It’s shocking defeat in the Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll and RR Nagar constituency (in Karnataka) were the highlights of the day.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 31, 2018 07:50 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).