File photo of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray (Press Trust of India)
The Devendra Fadnavis government won a trust motion in Maharashtra Assembly through a voice vote this afternoon.
However, before that trust vote took place, there was a war of words between the Shiv Sena and the NCP this morning over supporting the minority government in the confidence vote in the Assembly.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' this morning, the Shiv Sena warned its former ally BJP that it will be disrespecting people's mandate if it takes support of the NCP which "nibbled the state coffers like a mouse."
"(Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis once said that he wants to run the government for the people. But how do you plan to run the government taking support of a party that has been discarded by the people of the state?" the editorial said.
"Will you win the trust vote taking support of a party which has nibbled at the state coffers like a mouse? Will you take support of a mouse?" the editorial added.
The NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal hit back, saying, "We could abstain or vote in favour. If Sena says NCP is a rat then who says Sena is a tiger? What happened to Uddhav's dream of becoming the CM?"
In its editorial, the Sena also taunted its former ally, by saying the BJP is ready to take their support to save face during the trust vote, but is unrelenting on carrying forward talks regarding Sena's role in the state government.
"BJP asks us to give it support on the basis of similar ideologies and principles. You (BJP) also know that the ideology of NCP is only to loot Maharashtra," it alleged.
"But you (BJP) have nothing to do with that? You are ready to take their unconditional support," the Sena said while asking the BJP "on whose tunes it plans to dance now".
Sharad Pawar's NCP has offered external support to Mr Fadnavis to ensure a stable government.