Tumultuous ties

The BJP before May 16, 2014, was a different entity. The day Narendra Modi got a majority for the party on its own, the entire dynamics changed. The Sena, despite having 18 members in the Lok Sabha and emerging No 2 in the NDA, was offered a ‘passenger’ ministry like heavy industry . Since the BJP going solo in the October 2014 state polls, the ties have been strained

OCT 31, 2014: Devendra Fadnavis takes oath as chief minister

DEC 5, 2014: The Sena joins the government but is denied the deputy CM post. Since then, Sena is playing the double role of an ally and an opposition

2017: Both parties contest the Mumbai Municipal Corporation polls separately. The BJP offers support to the Sena after a hung verdict

JAN 2018: The Sena decides to go alone in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls

JAN 2019: The Sena joins the Opposition in demanding a JPC probe into the Rafale deal