'I challenge Shiv Sena to fight elections again if they are so confident'

Key Highlights Devendra Fadnavis issued a challenge to former ally Shiv Sena to contest elections again He also claimed that the BJP was capable to defeat the Maha Vikas Agadhi single-handedly in the polls Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had claimed that the BJP was planning ‘Operation Lotus’ to topple the MVA government in April

Mumbai: After BJP president JP Nadda told party cadre in Mumbai to ensure that there is no need of alliance in Maharashtra with anyone in the future, Devendra Fadnavis issued a challenge to former ally Shiv Sena to contest the election again.

The former Maharashtra CM further said that the BJP is capable to defeat the Maha Vikas Agadhi single-handedly in the polls.

Speaking at the BJP state executive meeting, Nadda today said that they need to ensure that there is no need to forge an alliance with anyone in the future in Maharashtra.

“It will be BJP versus other parties in the next polls. I can see that BJP will sweep the next election in the state,” he said.

Targeting the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance, Nadda called it an "unrealistic and unnatural" alliance and said that the saffron party would return to power in Maharashtra on its own in the next election.

Shiv Sena and the BJP have been at loggerheads ever since the former decided to join the MVA to form the government in Maharashtra.

Yesterday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray claimed that the BJP was planning ‘Operation Lotus’ to topple the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government in April this year and challenged the saffron party to pull down the government if they can.

'I challenge you to topple MVA government'

“If you (BJP) are thinking about toppling our MVA government then I challenge you to pull it down today. I, Balasaheb Thackeray's son, would like to accept the challenge,” he said.

Making the statement in the presence of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Uddhav said that Sena decided to join the alliance with the sole aim and purpose of development for the common man. He further said that the MVA government is united with a strong government.

Meanwhile, in an editorial published in Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, Sanjay Raut called Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'pompous and arrogant' and said that the loss of the BJP in Delhi Assembly election indicated that Modi-Shah duo was not invincible. Raut also praised the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP for its developmental works in Delhi and slammed the saffron party for its religion-centric political ideology.