PTI
Mumbai
Days after Uddhav Thackeray put the BJP-led Maharashtra government on “notice period”, Shiv Sena today claimed the people are ready for mid-term polls and its ministers are waiting for the party chief's signal to quit.
The party also kept up its vitriolic attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “raincoat” jibe at Manmohan Singh, asking him to stop “peeping in others bathrooms” and threatening opposition by flagging their horoscopes.
“Sena is unhappy with the style of functioning of the Chief Minister and the way he conducts himself,” Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande said.
“Not only Sena, even people are fed up with BJP as they have seen through their fake claims, announcements, attempts to malign us, at the same time induct tainted leaders...
people are ready for mid-term polls. No Sena minister will hesitate to pull out once Uddhavji directs,” she said.
Locked in a grim combat with BJP in civic polls in Mumbai and other cities across the state, Sena said, “BJP today is left with no ammunition but to claim that BMC has opaque functioning. If their claims were true, why did they remain in power with us? Did they want to enjoy benefits of power?” The party also accused Fadnavis of indulging in “shameful language” while on campaign, referring to his poser to Thackeray if he was “adversely affected” by the note ban.
Slamming Modi in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the party asked him to maintain the dignity of his office and focus on governance instead of threatening opposition parties by “flagging their horoscopes”.
“Modi, while campaigning in UP, threatened that he has the horoscope of opposition parties while Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav retorted by saying horoscopes of all are freely available on the Internet. This is an example of how low the level of campaign has plummeted,” an editorial in 'Saamana' said.
“At least the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister should not be a part of such mudslinging. The chair has immense integrity and the person occupying it should make sure its dignity is upheld,” it said.
“What has to happen in UP polls will happen. But the PM should concentrate on Delhi and the CMs on their states. One should not peep into others' bathrooms. This should be avoided,” the editorial said, alluding to Modi's 'raincoat' jibe against his predecessor Manmohan Singh.
Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar-led NCP dared Sena to withdraw its support to the Fadnavis government and said it is ready for mid-term polls would not give outside support to the ministry in the event of it being reduced to minority.
“Shiv Sena doesn't have guts to quit the government. If it does, the NCP will not support any party and will demand fresh polls,” NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told PTI.
