TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ In a veiled warning to the Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah has said that if an alliance happened, the party will ensure victory for its allies, but if it did not, the party will thrash its former allies in the coming Lok Sabha polls.
Shah’s statement came immediately after Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis set the BJP workers a target of winning 40 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Reacting to the statements, the Shiv Sena said it was ready to take on whoever challenges it.
Shah and Fadnavis addressed BJP workers from Latur, Osmanabad, Hingoli and Nanded districts of Maharashtra on Sunday. “Party workers should get rid of confusion about (prospects of) alliance (with the Shiv Sena). If the allies join us, we will ensure their win, or else will defeat them too. Party workers should start preparations at every booth,” Shah said.
He compared the coming elections to the third battle of Panipat, in which Maratha forces were defeated by the army of Afghan ruler Ahmed Shah Durrani (Abdali). The BJP chief said after this battle, the country was “enslaved” for 200 years. “If we win this election, our ideology will continue to rule for next 50 years. We should put in extra efforts to win this election,” Shah said.
