The credit for the BJP's political growth in Maharashtra goes to late Bal Thackeray and the Shiv Sena, party MP Sanjay Raut said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after paying tributes to the Sena founder on the occasion of his 95th birth anniversary at his memorial in ShivajiPark in central Mumbai, Raut said the BJP would not have been able to expand its base in rural areas of Maharashtra if Sena had not aligned with that party.