Miffed Uddhav Thackeray's Directive: Give BJP a Hard Time

Mumbai: After the Devendra Fadnavis government won the trust vote in Maharashtra amid high drama, Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting of party legislators in Mumbai on Wednesday evening.

Following the meeting, a Sena leader said that Mr Thackeray asked them to intensify the offensive against the BJP government if it did not work in the interest of the people and "give them a hard time in the future".

"We have been told to get ready to play the role of a very strong opposition," he said.

This morning, the Shiv Sena sharply attacked the BJP in an editorial, saying: "They have lost the moral right to govern on Day 1."

In the editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana, the Sena said, "The government has failed to prove their majority and must answer. Can those who crush the Constitution to win the vote of confidence win the people's trust?"

The BJP and the Sena have sparred bitterly since they ended their 25-year alliance in Maharashtra just before the election last month. After the polls, they failed to get back together as the BJP drove a hard bargain, cushioned by the NCP's offer of support.