Mumbai: The Shiv Sena has finally quit the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as its lone minister Arvind Sawant tendered his resignation on Monday.
He alleged that the BJP was resorting to “lies” by denying the agreement between the leaders of the two allies and said there was no trust left with its alliance partner.
The Sena’s lone minister in the Modi Cabinet took to Twitter to announce his decision, a day after Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari invited his party to stake claim to form government in the state.
“The Shiv Sena’s stand is of truth. Why should I stay in atmosphere of falsehood in Delhi? I am resigning as Union minister and will speak at a press conference in Delhi at 11 am (sic),” Mr Sawant tweeted.
On Monday morning, the Sena leader had hinted about his move after he tweeted about resigning as Union minister and attacked the BJP for breaking its promise of 50-50 power-sharing formula, that was agreed by both parties. He also accused the BJP of hurting the sentiments of the Shiv Sena and of the Thackeray family.
“BJP went back from their pre-election promises. It would not have been morally right for me to continue in the Centre,” Mr Sawant said after quitting.
To a question over BJP questioning the ideology of Shiv Sena, Mr Sawant hit back and said, “Where was their ideology when they formed government in Jammu and Kashmir with the PDP, with Mayawati in Uttar Pradesh and with Nitish Kumar in Bihar?”
The resignation of Mr Sawant, who was the Union minister for heavy industries and public enterprises, assumes a great significance in the Sena-BJP relations. Ever since both the parties decided to stitch an alliance 30 years back, it is the first time the Sena has left the NDA.
Even when they fought separately in the 2014 Vidhan Sabha elections, the Sena had preferred to stay in the NDA, with its minister still occupying the berth in the Narendra Modi-led government.
The Shiv Sena, which is the second-largest party in the 288-member House with 56 MLAs after the Bharatiya Janata Party (105), has time till 7.30 pm on Monday to stake claim to form government.
