Mumbai: Taking a dig at the BJP over drubbing in the Delhi elections, Shiv Sena has said that “selfishness” of its former Maharashtra ally has been defeated.
Sena, in its editorial mouthpiece Saamana, said that Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP victory did not come as a surprise.
The Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered a resounding victory in Delhi polls, retaining power in the national capital. The party won 62 seats, just five less than its record 67 seats of 2015 big win. The BJP failed to end over two-decade power drought in Delhi as it managed to bag only eight seats, five more than its tally in the previous election.
Taking a dig at BJP’s dismal performance in another Assembly polls, Shiv Sena said that the saffron party was losing “state after state”.
BJP’s state-level politics seems to be in the doldrums even as the party registered a historic victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Last year, the party lost its grip over Maharashtra after Shiv Sena walked out of the 30-year-old alliance over chief minister post and equal division of cabinet berths.
In the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly polls, the BJP had emerged as the single-largest party, winning 105 seats in the 288-member House followed by Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress winning 56, 54 and 44 seats, respectively. Despite emerging as the single-largest party, the BJP failed to form the government as Shiv Sena joined hands with NCP-Congress combine to form government in the state.
The BJP had also faced another setback in Jharkhand last year after it suffered defeat at the hands of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha-led alliance also including Congress and RJD.
In 2018, the BJP lost power in three Hindi heartland state – Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Shiv Sena lauded AAP before Delhi Assembly polls
The Shiv Sena had earlier heaped praise on Kejriwal and his party for its work in the national capital while hitting out at the BJP for resorting to “communal polarisation” to garner votes and come to power in Delhi.
Sena, in its mouthpiece, had said that
