Shiv Sena refutes Congress claim, says no question of it allying with Cong in 2014

Slamming ally-turned-foe BJP, Shiv Sena on Wednesday, said that there was no question of the Sena approaching Congress to form the government in 2014 due to Congress' diminished state, via an editorial in its mouthpiece  Saamana. Recalling the temporary split between BJP and Shiv Sena during the 2014 election – as they contested separately – Saamana stated taht Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan's comments were not logical and cannot be taken seriously. Furthermore, Saamana added that BJP's real face has been unmasked now as even if the Shiv Sena (63), NCP (41) and Congress(42) had teamed together their total (144) seats would not have formed a strong government in 2014, unlike now.

NCP contradicts Congress, claims 'Shiv Sena did not seek alliance with NCP in 2014'

Congress: Shiv Sena wanted to ally in 2014 also

On Monday, Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan revealed that the Shiv Sena had proposed to form a coalition government with his party and the NCP after the 2014 assembly election to stop the BJP from coming to power in the state. But the Congress had immediately rejected the proposal then, Chavan said. Even after the assembly election in 2019, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi was not ready for a coalition with the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena but she relented after long deliberations, he added.

Sena wanted to form govt in alliance with Cong after 2014 Maha elections: Prithviraj Chavan

NCP contradicts Congress

Disagreeing with ally Congress, NCP spokesperson and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik flatly refused that there were any talks with Shiv Sena and NCP-Congress regarding an alliance in 2014. He said that the Congress may have been in talks with the Sena but not the NCP. BJP has hit out at Sena's double standards claiming that their former ally had always gunned against it.

Uddhav not a politician, he's an artist: Gadakh warns Cong-NCP to behave or CM will resign

Discontent after Cabinet expansion

These comments come under growing among the Sena-NCP-Congress after the expansion of the Maharashtra cabinet with Sena MP Sanjay Raut reportedly unhappy as his brother Sunil Raut missed out on a Cabinet berth while senior party MLA Abdul Sattar was initially miffed over getting just a Minister of State position. Apart from this, there is a feeling in the Sena camp that the NCP has walked away with not only the highest number of portfolios but also the most important ones as the Sena, for example, had to cede the Home and the Finance portfolio. Shiv Sena is currently in power with a shaky alliance with Aghadi partners Congress and NCP, while its Mahayuti ally BJP is in Opposition.

'If Cong-NCP don't behave, Uddhav will resign': Cong neta reveals unhappiness, compulsions