PM Modi should cooperate with younger brother Uddhav Thackeray: Shiv Sena

Shiv Sena in its editorial Saamana said as quoted by NDTV, "The BJP-Shiv Sena are sharing strained relations in Maharashtra politics, but (Narendra) Modi and (Uddhav) Thackeray share brotherly ties... Hence, it is the responsibility of Shri Modi to cooperate with the younger brother from Maharashtra as the prime minister."

Modi was one of the first politicians who had congratulated Sena chief Uddhav for swearing in as the Chief Minister along with six other ministers on Thursday.

The Prime Minister, who had skipped the oath-taking ceremony despite getting invited, had tweeted, "Congratulations to Uddhav Thackeray Ji on taking oath as the CM of Maharashtra. I am confident he will work diligently for the bright future of Maharashtra."

Modi's party BJP broke up with its longest ally Sena over the latter's demand of 50:50 power share in the government and rotational Chief Ministership following the declaration of the state poll results on Oct 24.

After the BJP rejected the demands, the Sena got in touch with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, which had fought the election in an alliance and won 98 seats together.

The Sena consequently jumped into the bed with ideologically opposite NCP and Congress though the Aghadi's common minimum programme stressed on upholding the secular values quite contrary to Uddhav's party's previous stands on demolition of Babri Masjid and other issues.

(Image Credit: Shiv Sena Twitter)