Nagpur: Maharashtra Assembly on Thursday witnessed heated exchanges between ruling coalition partners BJP and Shiv Sena on the issue of carving out a separate Vidarbha state over which the two parties have long been at loggerheads.

The spark for the din was contributed by the recent remarks of state Advocate General Shreehari Aney on holding a referendum on creation of separate Vidarbha, which has triggered strong reaction from Shiv Sena.