Sena rules out attending NDA meet, accuses BJP of "Horse Trading"

New Delhi, Nov 16: Shiv Sena, which snapped ties with its decades-old ally BJP, today said it would not attend the meeting of the NDA leaders in the national capital ahead of the Parliament session.

"No, Shiv Sena will not go," said Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut when asked if Shiv Sena will go for NDA meeting in Delhi ahead of Parliament session.

BJP and Shiv Sena went to elections as allies, but after results were announced, the Uddav Thackeray-led party demanded '50-50' sharing of CM's post. The BJP did not budge and refused to share the CM post. Shiv Sena is said to have reached out to the NCP and the Congress for support. The NCP put a condition that the Sena will have to walk out of the NDA first.

Shiv Sena then severed decades-old alliance with the BJP, which emerged as the single largest party in Maharashtra Assembly elections 2019. Shiv Sena leader Arvind Sawant, the lone party minister in the Modi Cabinet, on Monday, resigned and hence the Thackeray led party severed ties with the NDA.

President's Rule was imposed in Maharashtra after none of the four main parties were able to form the government after October 21 Assembly Elections. The election result was declared on October 24 in which none of the parties got 145 seats needed to form the government.

Shiv Sena, in its mouthpiece Saamna, accused its former ally BJP of "horse-trading under the guise of President's rule."

"Those with 105 seats had earlier conveyed to the Governor that they do not have the majority. How come are they now claiming that only they will form the government?" Sena wrote in Saamana.

"...the intention of horse-trading stands exposed now. The lies of those promising transparent governance are becoming evident now," it further said.

The BJP had or Friday claimed that it has the support of 119 MLAs.