MUMBAI: People who voted for the BJP during the Lok Sabha and assembly elections are disappointed by its tacit alliance with the NCP. The ruling party won Wednesday’s vote of confidence with the NCP’s support.

People recall Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaign speech where he had expanded the NCP’s initials to term it a “Naturally Corrupt Party”. He had taken a jibe at its party symbol, the clock, saying its hands were stuck at 10.10 hours since it had committed 10-fold corruption in 10 years.

Several voters are unable to reconcile Wednesday’s compromise with those speeches. “It is upsetting to see the BJP swap partners like this. How can it give up the Shiv Sena, its trusted ally of 25 years, in exchange for the NCP? We voted BJP because we wanted a break from the corruption of the past 15 years,” said Advait Anand, a businessman from Malad.

Advocate Pradyumna Waghmare said the voters’ mandate had been betrayed. “The BJP has come to power because people wanted the corrupt Congress-NCP to go. Sharad Pawar’s party is at number four in the state given the number of seats, yet he has managed to become the kingmaker and successfully draw focus upon himself. It was his game plan to cause a rift between the Sena and BJP in the long term, and indeed, the chances of the former allies getting together in near future have become more faint after today’s trust vote.”

Parel resident Shardul Mhadgut is a functionary of the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Sena. It is this party that is hurting the most. “The BJP fought its election campaign on the anti-corruption plank. In fact, Vinod Tawde had said he would put Ajit Pawar in prison. What will it do now? I ask the CM as a citizen of this state, will he investigate the irrigation scam or will he brush it under the carpet? How does the BJP plan to stay in office for five years with Pawar’s sword hanging over its head?” Mhadgut said.

However, BJP spokesman Keshav Upadhye said, “When did we seek or receive support from the NCP? Why punish us for a sin we did not commit? We have not spoken to that party or held consultations on the vote of confidence. In fact, on the day he assumed office, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said that he would not run the government to merely remain in power. He is here to serve the people and to do good work.” Upadhye did not confirm or deny that the NCP had remained non-committal during the vote owing to its soft approach towards the ruling party. “How can I speak for them? But the citizens of Maharashtra need not worry that we will soft pedal the investigation into the irrigation and other scams. Running a government is serious business,” he added.

