Assembly polls: Here's is what finally led to 'Maha divorce'

Thursday was a break-up day in poll bound Maharashtra where two of its long-standing political combinations parted their ways on the issue of seat-sharing and Chief Ministership.

Barely an hour after the Shiv Sena and the BJP announced their split, the NCP on Thursday said it was breaking away from the Congress to fight the Maharashtra Assembly polls alone.

Ironically, the reasons for the break-up of the Sena-BJP and Congress-NCP alliance were the same.

Reasons for the divorce of BJP-Sena 25-year-old marriage

The Sena-BJP alliance breathed its last on Thursday evening, bringing an end to a robust and stormy era in coalition politics in the State. Sena's refusal to bow down to BJP's demand is being termed as the major reason which sour the relationship. Shiv Sena was not willing to give in to the demand for 130 seats from the BJP. Along with this both parties' lust for CM's post is also another reason for their break-up. Both the old allies had their eye on the CM post which further strained the relation.

BJP, Shiv Sena last fought independently in 1985

Also, taking into note the anti-incumbency factor against the ruling Government, Sena and BJP believed that both of them have a good chance if they contest independently.

What went wrong in NCP-Congress alliance?

NCP, Congress' oldest ally in UPA, on Thursday night, announced breaking of its 15-year-old association, citing neglect by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. Refusing NCP's demand of 144 seats, the Congress has announced its first list of 118 candidates in a take-it-or-leave-it position towards its ally.

"Congress declared seats without consulting alliance partners and betrayed our trust," NCP State president Sunil Tatkare was quoted as saying in media reports.

Senior NCP leader and Maharashtra deputy CM Ajit Pawar blamed Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan for the split. He said NCP was never neglected by earlier Congress CMs.

The implications of the break-up?

Following the break-up, an intense, multi-cornered contest is being expected in the ensuing Assembly polls in Maharashtra where parties like Sena, BJP, NCP and Congress will be fighting to get majority while small players like MNS, AIMIM and Left could be seen working as game-spoilers.

This will be the first election since 1989 when BJP and Shiv Sena will be fighting opposite to each other. They first fought independently in 1985 when Sena just got one seat while BJP 16. However, the Sena and BJP tied up in 1989, and won 52 and 42 seats respectively.

Since the NCP has formed in 1999, it has been into alliance with Congress in the State.

Past elections trends

In the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena and BJP led 'Mahayuti alliance' swept 42 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats.

In the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the Congress- NCP alliance led in 133 Assembly seats, while Sena- BJP combine got 122.
In 2009,Assembly polls, while NCP-Congress came out at winner the Shiv Sena managed to win 44 and BJP 46.