Mumbai, July 19: The Maharashtra state coalition partner of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, has decided to support the Narendra Modi government during the no-confidence motion in Lok Sabha on Friday. According to reports, the Shiv Sena has issued a whip to all its MPs asking them to vote against the Opposition's no-confidence motion. Reports say that this came after BJP President Amit Shah spoke to Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray over the phone today.

On Day 1 of the Monsoon Session of Parliament on Wednesday, Opposition parties including the Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) brought a no-confidence motion against the Modi-led NDA government.

While the TDP brought the no-confidence motion over the issue of special status to Andhra Pradesh, the Congress said that the BJP had failed to fulfil promises made in 2014. The issues raised by the Opposition include lynchings, atrocities against women and Dalits and dilution of a law meant for Scheduled Castes.

Shiv Sena's move has surprised all opposition parties especially when Sena partymen and leaders have been found openly slamming the BJP over various issues over the past one year. Recently, the Sena lambasted BJP for bringing Governor's rule in Jammu and Kashmir after breaking an alliance with the PDP. Sena went ahead and said that that BJP was unable to resolve the rising conflicts at the LOC.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 19, 2018 03:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).