Some people consider themselves God: After Sena sits in Oppn, Sanjay Raut targets BJP

New Delhi: After Shiv Sena MPs were allotted seats on the Opposition side in the Parliament, senior Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stating that NDA is not the property of one party but some are 'considering themselves God'.

"Democracy shall be maintained. One should not consider himself or herself God. The political situation created in Maharashtra is due to ego. We are one of the four founders of the NDA. It is not the property of one party but sometimes they think they are God," Sanjay Raut said while speaking to reporters over his party MPs being allotted seats on the Opposition side in the Parliament.

"If you take a step back from the deal on which you agreed, it is not right. Babasaheb Thackeray was among the four leaders who formed the NDA. We have saved NDA several times. We never left their hand but today they think they are God. If you are thinking of removing Sena from NDA then you are not God," he said.

Raut further questioned if the BJP had asked Prakash Singh Badal and Nitish Kumar before taking the decision to remove Sena from NDA.

"This attitude will not work," he said adding that Sena will work for the development of the nation no matter



where it sits in the Parliament.

Speaking about Sena's plan to form a tri-party alliance with NCP and Congress to form government in Maharashtra, he said: "Government will be formed in Maharashtra and the Chief Minister will be from Shiv Sena. The government will run on the basis of a common minimum programme agreed between the three parties."

He added that Maharashtra is a progressive state and there will be a stable government.

The BJP and the Shiv Sena got an absolute majority in Maharashtra Assembly polls but could not form the government due to differences over power-sharing.

Following the inability of BJP, the single largest party, to form the government, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari asked the Shiv Sena and then NCP to form the government in state.

However, as they were not able put together a viable alternative in the time given to them, the state came under President's Rule.

While the BJP emerged as the single-largest party in Maharashtra assembly polls with 105 seats, the NCP and Congress have 54 and 44 MLAs, respectively, in the state Assembly.

The majority mark in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly is 145.