As the BJP dashed his hopes of taking over the reins of the state, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said that it was a "purgical strike" on democracy.

"Whatever we do or say, we say or do it openly, in broad daylight... Not secretly like this, at the dead of the night... This is a surgical strike on democracy,” Thackeray said.

"Henceforth, there’s no need to hold elections in the state... Just appoint anybody who claims that ‘I will return’ as CM,” Thackeray said, taking a swipe at Fadnavis’ famous pre-election slogan— “mee punha yeen” (I will return).

Thackeray said that this was nothing but a sheer mockery of democracy, first in Bihar, then in Haryana and now in Maharashtra, and whatever has happened is not according to the Constitution.