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Bharatiya Janata Party’s humiliating poll debacle in Delhi on Tuesdat drew stinging barbs from ally Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who called it a ‘defeat’ for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which showed the tsunami in the national capital was mightier than the ‘Modi wave’.
“It would not be wrong to call the results a defeat for Narendra Modi. Talks had been going on about a Modi wave sweeping the country. But the people of Delhi have shown that tsunami is mightier than a wave,” Thackeray said, taking a swipe at Modi and bringing to the fore the unease between the two allies.
“Delhi has shown that tsunami is bigger than a wave...It is a message to those who lord over Delhi,” Thackeray said.
BJP has been trying to insulate Modi against criticism for the defeat in Delhi assembly polls, saying it was not a referendum on him.
Stung by Uddhav’s remarks that rubbed salt into its wounds, an angry Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said Shiv Sena should walk out of the government before “pointing barbs” at Modi.
“If you intend to point barbs at Modiji, who is among the tallest leaders of the BJP and the PM of this country, then do not stay in the government. Have the courage of first leaving power and then point barbs,” Shelar, also an MLA, said.
Shelar said since it was an assembly poll and not a general election, Modi could not be held accountable for the loss.
The Sena leader, who called up AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal to congratulate him on the victory, said he would attend the oath-taking ceremony if invited.
“I spoke to (Arvind) Kejriwal today and congratulated him on this victory. I also advised him to continue to work for Delhi and not commit the mistake of resigning from the CM’s post again,” he said.
Despite the rapprochement after the bitter split ahead of the assembly elections last year, the two parties are not on the best of terms.
The Sena has been very critical of the BJP-led state government’s handling of agrarian problems, particularly farmers suicides in the drought-prone Vidarbha and Marathwada regions.
Image: AAP's Arvind Kejriwal celebrates Kumar Vishwas's birthday with cake cutting