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The Congress on Thursday asked whether the 'Mahayuti' has a moral right to form government in Maharashtra if its constituent Shiv Sena feels scared that ally Bharatiya Janata Party will "poach" its MLAs.
The BJP and the Shiv Sena contested the recently-held state sssembly polls under the aegis of 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance) along with some smaller allies.
However, despite the BJP and the Sena in a comfortable position to jointly form government in the state, they have been warring over sharing the chief minister's post.
The Shiv Sena wants the post to be shared for two-and-half years each on a rotation basis, but the BJP has rejected such an arrangement.
Some BJP leaders and its allies of late claimed a section of Shiv Sena leaders were in touch with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis -- apparently to switch sides.
Amid the tussle between the Mahayuti constituents, Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant accused the BJP of being "morally corrupt", if the Shiv Sena feels scared that the Amit Shah-led party will poach its MLAs.
"The Shiv Sena is an alliance partner of the BJP and part of Mahayuti. If it feels scared that BJP will poach their MLAs, then we can very well understand how much the BJP is morally corrupt and why we must save Maharashtra from them. Does Mahayuti hv moral rights to form govt now?" Sawant said in a tweet.
Taking a dig at the BJP, Congress national spokesperson Sanjay Jha said resorts in places near Mumbai, like Khandala, Alibaug, Matheran and Madh Island may soon be blocked.
"But given the money they have, the BJP should also consider Maldives, Bahamas, Bermuda and Pattaya," he quipped.
Without naming the BJP, NCP's Maharashtra unit chief Jayant Patil also claimed that some MLAs were being lured.
"Some MLAs are being lured now. But in case anyone defects (to the BJP's camp), other parties will come together and defeat him/her (in bypoll)," Patil told reporters.
He, however, said the NCP MLAs were not among those who were being lured.
"Those who wanted to switch sides, left (the NCP) before the election. The ones elected (on NCP's tickets) have people's faith in them and we are ready to sit in the opposition," he said.
The Shiv Sena hit out at BJP's smaller allies for their recent meeting with governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to express concern over the delay in government formation in the state.
The allies, who do not even have MLAs, are not concerned about the state but their own position in the new government, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana claimed.
It also claimed that "certain elements" were luring MLAs with money, and reiterated that people of the state want the next chief minister to be from the Shiv Sena.
Besides, the BJP and Sena, the 'Mahayuti' (grand alliance) in Maharashtra also comprises Republican Party of India-Athawale and Rashtriya Samaj Paksh.
Union minister and RPI-A chief Ramdas Athawale, and RSP leader Mahadev Jankar, who is a minister in the state government, last week met Koshyari and urged him to invite the BJP, which is the single largest party, to form government.