In the wake of the dramatic political developments in Maharashtra that saw the BJP and a faction of the NCP led by Ajit Pawar coming together to form the government, even as Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress were busy working out modalities to form a government, the BJP claimed the newly-formed alliance would provide an “honest, lasting and stable” government in the State.

The occasion also enabled the BJP for the first time to give vent to its “agony and pain” over how its once all-weather ally in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, and its political mouthpiece Saamana used language unbecoming of an alliance partner against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah and engaged in “match-fixing” for grabbing the “kursi” (chair) in the State.

No sooner were BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of the State respectively by the Governor in an early morning ceremony, it sparked off a fresh round of political blame game in Maharashtra with the Congress blaming the NCP’s Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray accusing the BJP of murdering democracy.

At a press conference later at the BJP headquarters here, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad hit back at the Shiv Sena chief over his “murder of democracy” remark against the BJP.

“When the Shiv Sena out of its selfish design chooses to break its three decades friendship (with the BJP) and join hands with (our) political opponents did it not amount to the murder of democracy? And, if Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar come together for government formation it becomes (a murder of democracy)?” asked Prasad.

He said both the BJP and Shiv Sena had got a majority verdict in the Maharashtra assembly polls. He pointed out that in many Shiv Sena candidates’ victories the BJP had played a role.  He said after the elections NCP’s Sharad Pawar and Congress party had said since they did not have the requisite numbers they were not in the race for power. He asked given the scenario the country was entitled to know what prompted the Shiv Sena to engage in match-fixing to grab the chair.

The BJP leader accused the Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena of hatching a ‘conspiracy’ to take control of the country’s financial capital through backdoor. In a dig at the Shiv Sena, he said he had nothing to say about their Hindutva and nationalist planks and its claim to the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Justifying the Governor’s decision to invite BJP and NCP to form the government, Ravi Shankar said the Governor’s move had been in consonance with the norms of the Constitution. He claimed that BJP-NCP had a majority. He said none of the parties seeking to come to power had given any letter to the Governor claiming they had the necessary numbers to form the government. “There was no counterclaim before the Governor,” he said, adding that a big state like Maharashtra could ill afford to go on in such a fashion. He said the BJP and NCP would be able to give an “honest and stable” government in the State. In response to a question he claimed the new government would prove its majority on the floor of the assembly on 30 November.

Prasad, however, declined comment over the political developments inside the NCP in the wake of Ajit Pawar’s decision to join hands with the BJP to form the government in Maharashtra.