'Free atmosphere now as Shiv Sena eased burden of BJP relationship'

The Shiv Sena on Saturday said that the Uddhav Thackerayled party has eased the burden of relationship with the BJP resulting into a free atmosphere not only in Maharashtra but also in the BJP campThe Sena a longtime ally of the BJP had last month joined hands with ideological rivals Congress and NCP to form a government in Maharashtra with Thackeray as Chief MinisterIn an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana on Saturday the Sena took a dig at the BJP over disgruntled leaders Eknath Khadse and Pankaja MundeThe BJP should stop making comments like it is ready to talk to us Some members of the BJP have even said that they will not sit in the Opposition for long However as the Shiv Sena has eased the burden of relationship with the BJP Maharashtra is also feeling lighter and there is a free atmosphere now it saidIn fact the atmosphere is so free and lighter now that BJP leader Eknath Khadse is speaking his mind openly the Sena said apparently referring to Khadses open criticism of certain BJP leaders for the electoral losses Khadses recent meeting with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and CM Thackeray had triggered a speculation over his future political journeyHe Khadse met Sharad Pawar and also held discussions with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray He now courageously says that he is free to take his own decision The same is true with former BJP minister Pankaja Munde Everybody is feeling relieved of stress now the Sena statedThe Sena also fired barbs at former chief minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis over his criticism of ThackerayFadnavis had questionned whether Uddhav Thackeray had promised his late father Bal Thackeray to install a CM of the Sena in Maharashtra by taking the help of the CongressIt seems that the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Fadnavis is still obsessed with power It will take him some time to adjust Those who aimed for power by breaking the Congress party should not lecture us on taking help of the Congress to form a government it statedThe Sena reminded the BJP that leaders like Ram Vilas Paswan LJP and Nitish Kumar JDU who had criticised PM Narendra Modi in the past are the allies of the saffron partyIn 2014 before the Maharashtra assembly elections Khadse had announced with pride that the BJP was snapping its alliance with the Shiv Sena Cut to 2019 He is left nowhere nowSimilarly in 2019 after the results of the state assembly polls Fadnavis did not honour the commitment given to the Sena and he became politically unemployed it statedThe Sena has been accusing the BJP leadership especially then chief minister Fadnavis for not honouring the preLok Sabha poll promise that the Sena will get the post of the chief minister of Maharashtra for a period of 25 years in the event of the NDA coming to power in October this yearDays after Fadnavis refuted the Senas claims after the poll results the Sena walked out of the NDA alleging betrayal and joined hands with the NCP and the Congress to form a coalition governmentCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates