It's fall of Modi, rise of 'mahanayak' Nitish: Sena

The Shiv Sena, the oldest ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Sunday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi while describing Janata Dal (United) leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar as a “mahanayak” after the landslide victory of the Grand Alliance in the polls.

“We congratulate Nitish Kumar, this result will be turning point in country’s political future. The outcome denotes decline of a leader,” Shiv Sena spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said in a political jibe targeted towards Modi.

“The prime minister has devoted time for the Bihar elections…parties contest elections in the name of leaders…Congress contested elections in the name of Sonia ji or Rahul ji and when they lose, it is the responsibility of Sonia ji or Rahul ji. Similarly, the Bihar result is Modi ji’s responsibility,” he said. “If there are elections in Maharashtra now the results will be the same. We are not scared of elections,” said Raut, whose party, Sena, is an ally of the BJP and is part of the Modi-led NDA government at the Centre and Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra.

Political hero
Raut, who is also the Executive Editor of “Saamana”, the Sena mouthpiece, said: “This is a big win for Nitish Kumar. He has emerged as a mahanayak (political hero),” a comment that would not go down well among the rank and file of BJP. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray called up Nitish Kumar and congratulated him. “Uddhav ji spoke to Nitish ji and congratulated him for the victory….he told Nitish Kumar that people have once again reposed faith in him and have given the mandate to govern Bihar,” a Shiv Sena spokesperson said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray, once an admirer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a critic of Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad, on Sunday congratulated the two leaders from Bihar.

“It’s a victory for the politics of regional pride, development and social justice. I feel that development of Bihar should happen so rapidly that Biharis will stop migrating to Maharashtra and other states,” Raj Thackeray said.