"Why Did BJP Take 5 Years To Realise Sharad Pawar's Experience?": Sena

Days after Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered him to work together, the Shiv Sena wondered why the BJP took five years to realise the veteran leader's "utility and experience".

An editorial in Sena mouthpiece ''Saamana'' on Wednesday sought to know what benefit the BJP was trying to seek from the NCP, which its party leaders earlier called "Naturally Corrupt Party".

It also said that had the NCP won less than "55 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the BJP would not have tried to make friendly overtures to Sharad Pawar's party.

All efforts of the BJP were only to stop the Shiv Sena from coming to power. However, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray stopped the BJP's plans to gain power, it said.

Uddhav Thackeray took over as the chief minister of Maharashtra over a month after assembly election results were declared on October 24.

On Monday, Sharad Pawar said PM Modi had proposed "working together", but he rejected the offer.

The NCP supremo said he made it clear to the PM that it won't be possible for them to work together.

Reacting to Sharad Pawar's comments, the the Sena said, "We wonder why the BJP took five years to realise Pawar's utility and experience. Had the NCP won less that 55 seats in the Assembly polls, the BJP would not have tried to woo the party."

The BJP had won 105 seats, the Shiv Sena 56, the NCP 54 and the Congress 44 in Maharashtra assembly elections.

The Shiv Sena, which fought the elections in alliance with the BJP, however, later fell out with its decades-old partner over the issue of sharing the chief minister's post.

"If all that was true, then what kind of benefit was the BJP anticipating from NCP's experience?" the Sena asked.

After the Lok Sabha elections this year, the Enforcement Directorate initiated an inquiry into an alleged land deal between NCP leader Praful Patel and a terror suspect in Mumbai. A notice was sent to Sharad Pawar as well (before the Maharashtra Assembly polls), the Sena pointed out.

"It was the beginning of the BJP's corrupt practice to prepare a ground for government formation after the Assembly elections in Maharashtra. But, Sharad Pawar did not bow down to Delhi's pressure tactics," the Marathi daily said.