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The Shiv Sena on Wednesday took potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party for the reverses suffered by it in the bypolls, saying it should learn a lesson and keep its “feet on the ground”.
“In Lok Sabha polls, BJP made great strides in Uttar Pradesh but now the bypoll results have been the opposite. This is a lesson for Maharashtra polls. It is a lesson for all. Don’t take people for granted,” an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.
“People’s minds are fickle. It is their decision. The bypoll results are lesson for October 15 Maharashtra assembly polls. It is a lesson for all,” the Sena said.
“Keep your feet on ground. Don’t get swayed by the frenzy of victory (in Lok Sabha polls). Only those who learn this lesson will win Maharashtra. Or else the public will do the needful,” the Sena said.
The BJP was dealt a severe blow in its strongholds in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat when it lost 13 of the 23 seats held by it there while the Congress put up a surprise showing in two of these states in the assembly by-elections.
The Sena mouthpiece said, “The bypoll results should not be linked to the Modi wave. It should be noted that there is a difference between general and state elections.” “Modi is doing a great job at international level,” it said.
“Who is to blame if the work done by Modi in 100 days hasn’t percolated down,” it said. Swami Adityanath raised the ‘love-jihad’ issue but the bypoll results show that it did not have any impact, Sena said.
“Nobody should credit Sonia or Rahul Gandhi for Congress performance in the latest bypolls,” it said. Similarly, nobody should also claim that the results are a mandate against Modi, it added.
The strong remarks in the Sena editorial are being construed as a warning for BJP to tone down its demand for more seats to contest in the Maharashtra polls. BJP president Amit Shah is expected to discuss seat sharing issue with Sena in a meeting with his party’s senior state leaders in Mumbai on Wednesday.