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Diehard sainiks slam 'Betrayal' by BJP

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Wednesday's developments in the state assembly-- where it became clear that the Shiv Sena would be sitting in the opposition benches-- crushed the dreams of Shiv Sainiks and made long-serving Sainiks feel betrayed by their erstwhile ally, the BJP.

How it stung the longtime Shiv Sena die-hard Devendra Ghandade (43)-- the way the Bharatiya Janata Party broke its alliance with the Sena and relegated the firebrand party to the opposition benches. Ghandade remembered the days of old, when BJP "piggybacked" on the Sena tiger's back. Saying that BJP used Sena to expand its base in Maharashtra in the last 25 years, he said that the BJP had now stabbed its old partner in the back. A pained Ghandade said, "Now, they are dictating terms to the Shiv Sena and flexing their muscles."

Ghandade said that the Marathi manus, too, felt he'd been cheated by BJP. But the tables would turn eventually, he predicted. "The Marathi people will teach them a lesson in future," he said.

Grant Road resident Ghandade was confident that the Sena would attack the BJP from the opposition benches. The reason was that aggression was in the party's very bones, said Ghandade, who has been working for the party since he was 14.

"Definitely Sena leaders will play a good role as opposition in Maharashtra. Ever since its formation, the party has fought for the people and it will continue, because Sena is not greedy for power," Ghandade said.

In 1989, the BJP and the Sena forged an alliance in Maharashtra. Sena was the major partner in the alliance for every election except the latest one; it took a majority of seats for its candidates. In 1995 the alliance came to power for a full term. Sena was also part of the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Since then, the relationship has gone downhill.

Sanjay Avhad from Tardeo said the BJP should also expect the Sena to vent its ire through demonstrations on the street. He said, "The BJP leaders are puffed up after their success in the Lok Sabha elections. But our party will never compromise on its self-respect. Our party is for the people, and our party will come out on the streets to get justice."

"BJP should not challenge the Shiv Sena in its own state. They should know and understand the ground reality. BJP should not underestimate Sena on the basis of their Lok Sabha victory and getting 121 seats in the Maharashtra assembly election," said Bal Kalsekar, ex-Vibhag Pramukh (division chief) South Mumbai, who worked with Sena from its inception.

Kalsekar also said that Sainiks were loyal to Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray. "Uddhav saheb has taken the right decision (to sit in the opposition) and all Sainiks are with him," Kalsekar said.

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