Agreed to alliance because BJP has changed how it treats allies, says Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray

The BJP and Shiv Sena, who have had a troubled alliance over the past few years, announced their tie up for the upcoming Lok Sabha & Maharashtra assembly elections on Tuesday.

File photo of BJP president Amit Shah with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis | PTI

Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said Tuesday evening that he decided to join hands with the BJP because of the saffron party’s changed way of dealing with its allies.

Thackeray was speaking to Sena workers at his residence here.

On Monday, Shiv Sena and BJP, the sparring ruling allies, announced that they would contest the coming Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections together.

“I experienced the change in the way they treat people, hence I decided to join hands with the BJP,” Thackeray said.

He also reiterated that the BJP’s proposal that chief minister will be from the party which will send more MLAs to the Assembly was not acceptable to the Sena.

“I want to see a Sena chief minister and I will work for it,” he said.

“I have already won in the treaty, now we should win the real battle of election,” Thackeray said. -PTI