Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the BJP and the then-undivided Shiv Sena first parted ways in 2014 due to a disagreement over seat-sharing in the assembly elections. According to Fadnavis, the Shiv Sena was firm on contesting 151 seats, while the BJP was willing to offer them 147, planning to contest 127 seats itself in the 288-member assembly.

Speaking at an event honoring Sikkim Governor Om Prakash Mathur, who was BJP’s Maharashtra in-charge in 2014, Fadnavis recalled that the BJP had anticipated winning over 200 seats. Under the proposed arrangement, the Shiv Sena would have held the chief minister's post, with the BJP securing the deputy CM position. However, he claimed that the Shiv Sena refused to back down from its demand for 151 seats, citing a decision by its leadership.

Fadnavis suggested that fate ultimately led him to become the chief minister. He also shared details of discussions with senior BJP leader Amit Shah, who consulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the matter. Along with Shah and Mathur, Fadnavis said they were confident about BJP’s prospects in the 2014 elections.

Reacting to Fadnavis’ remarks, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut acknowledged that negotiations had gone on for 72 hours and that Mathur played a key role. Raut claimed Fadnavis personally wanted to maintain the alliance but alleged that senior BJP leaders had already decided to break ties with Shiv Sena.

Despite contesting the 2014 elections separately, the Shiv Sena later joined the BJP-led government under Fadnavis. The two parties split again in 2019 over the chief ministerial post, and in 2022, the Shiv Sena fractured further when a faction led by Eknath Shinde rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray's leadership.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from ANI.