Image: Maharashtra BJP chief Devendra Fadnavis
The Shiv Sena and the BJP will be on the opposite sides of the electoral battlefield for the first time in 25 years in the assembly elections to be held on October 15.
After repeated barbs from the Shiv Sena on Shivaji's legacy, BJP's Maharashtra unit President Devendra Fadnavis tells NDTV that the Maratha warrior is "no one's private property".
Speaking on the break-up of the alliance, he lays the blame squarely at the Sena's doorstep, saying the saffron ally was inflexible and insecure and things collapsed only because of "one man's ambition" to become the Chief Minister, in an apparent reference to Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray.
"Sena was not flexible and had come with a fixed number. There was also insecurity that the BJP would have a better strike rate. And it is true; even in past elections, the BJP has had a better strike rate than the Sena," Mr Fadnavis said. "We would have even agreed to chief ministership, but they were stuck on a number and didn't want to change it."
On the demand for a separate state of Vidarbha, Mr Fadnavis says the BJP's policy on the issue is very clear.
"We are ideologically in favour of small states. We created the three small states when NDA was in power last time at the Centre and the results are for all to see," he said.
When asked specifically on whether Vidarbha is an issue in this election, he said, "We are in favour of smaller states, it's there in our manifesto at the Centre. But not like the Congress divided Andhra Pradesh; we believe in smaller states on the basis of socio-economic transformation."
Although within party circles, many see him as a potential chief ministerial candidate if the BJP comes to power, Mr Fadnavis says his only focus, as the state unit president, is to lead the party to a full majority.