BJP-Sena Rift in 2014 Was Over Just Four Seats, Says Fadnavis

Mumbai, Maharashtra: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has revealed that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance first broke in 2014 due to a dispute over just four Assembly seats. Speaking at an event in Mumbai on March 24, Fadnavis stated that while BJP offered Shiv Sena 147 seats, the party insisted on contesting 151, leading to the split.

Despite contesting the elections separately, the Shiv Sena later joined hands with BJP, allowing Fadnavis to form the government. He recalled discussions with senior leaders, including Amit Shah and Om Prakash Mathur, stating that BJP was confident of winning over 200 seats in the 288-member Assembly.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut responded, claiming that senior BJP leaders had already decided to break the alliance, despite Fadnavis personally favoring its continuation.

The alliance fractured again after the 2019 elections over the Chief Minister’s post, leading to a split in the Shiv Sena in 2022 when Eknath Shinde’s faction rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray.