mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Monday accused BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis of cornering former MP Sambhaji Chhatrapati, who withdrew from the Rajya Sabha poll race after the Sena declined to back his candidature as an independent.
An editorial in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, who also heads the Sena, did not backtrack on his word, refuting the charge made by Sambhaji Chhatrapati in a press conference last week when he withdrew from the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls.
The Shiv Sena has always respected the family of Chhatrapati. CM Uddhav Thackeray did not backtrack on his word. This is all bad politics of the BJP, the Marathi daily claimed.
Separately, talking to the reporters, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut accused the BJP of horse-trading after the latter fielded three candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls to six seats from the state.
Raut also claimed that the BJP tried to use Sambhaji Chhatrapati as a shield .
The BJP has enough votes to win two seats on its own. Maharashtra's ruling alliance partners Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have the votes to get one candidate each elected separately, but together they can get another candidate elected to the Upper House of Parliament.
Banking on this arithmetic, the Sena has decided to field two candidates -Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar - in the elections.
Raut said the Sena will win both the seats.
The Rajya Sabha tenure of Sambhaji Chhatrapati, a descendant of king Shivaji Maharaj, ended recently. He had announced that he will contest the upcoming election has an independent, and also sought support from the Shiv Sena.