Shortly after bickering allies BJP and the Shiv Sena finalised a seat-sharing pact for 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra on Monday, the Congress took pot shots at the BJP reminding the ruling party at the Centre of the number of times Uddhav Thackeray’s party has criticised it.

After facing a relentless attacks from the BJP about an ‘unholy alliance’ of alliance parties, the Congress returned the compliment saying the tie-up with the Shiv Sena was the “BJP’s idea of a holy alliance.”

Just a few of the times @ShivSena has criticised the Modi govt., even as recently as today. This is BJP's idea of a holy alliance. pic.twitter.com/RUgCZhxSrB

— Congress (@INCIndia) February 18, 2019

On the last day of the Budget session of Parliament on February 7, Prime Minster Narendra Modi took a swipe at the opposition parties dismissing their attempt to present a united front against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliace (NDA) in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. PM Modi said the elusive grand-alliance is a “mahamilawat” (adulteration), which the people will reject in the elections.

The BJP rank and file has been labelling the opposition’s alliance plans as an effort to oust the Modi government for its anti-corruption stand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the pact saying the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will continue working for the well-being of Maharashtra.

Inspired by the vision of Atal Ji and Balasaheb Thackeray Ji, BJP-Shiv Sena alliance will continue working for the well-being of Maharashtra and ensuring the state once again elects representatives who are development oriented, non corrupt and proud of India’s cultural ethos.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 18, 2019

But the BJP itself has had an uneasy relationship with the Shiv Sena for much of the last five years. The Sena has regularly targeted the BJP over a range of issues including the Ram Temple, Kashmir and Rafale and flexed its muscles, insisting that in Maharashtra it “was and will always be the big brother.”

In January, BJP  chief Amit Shah said the party would defeat the Sena hands down in Maharashtra if it does not enter into an alliance before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. It drew a sharp response from the Sena which said “Maharashtra will see to it that you will be routed in the election.”

BJP alliance with the Sena appeared to be unravelling in the assembly elections in 2014, after the BJP refused to accept the Sena as the senior partner in the state. They fought separately and the BJP fielded candidates in 260 out of 288 assembly seats; the Sena contested 282 seats. The former won 122 and the latter 63.

They came together after the election to form the government in Maharashtra, but the relationship has remained strained.

First Published: Feb 18, 2019 21:22 IST