We are 'big brother' in Maharashtra, Sena tells BJP

Amidst signs of back-channel talks between the saffron alliance partners, the Shiv Sena on Monday said that it was, is and would remain the "big brother" in Maharashtra.

"We are the big brother in Maharashtra, we were the big brother and would remain the big brother....now this big brother would rock the throne in Delhi," Shiv Sena spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said on Monday.

Raut's comments came after a meeting of senior leaders presided over by Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree, the Bandra bungalow of the Thackeray family.

Raut denied claims that his party had received any seat-sharing formula from the BJP. "We have no information, you people know more," the journalist-politician said, adding that his party is not sitting to accept proposals. "These are rumours," said Raut, the executive editor of Saamana who also wrote and produced the film Thackeray based on the political life of late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.

The Shiv Sena is BJP's oldest ally and is part of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre and partner in the Maharashtra government.

It may be recalled that the Shiv Sena had announced last year that it would contest all future polls alone.

However, BJP president Amit Shah, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis are seriously looking for a pre-poll alliance in the wake of the fast-changing political scenario.

While Shiv Sena and its mouthpiece have continued to target Modi, Shah and Fadnavis, of late, it had also lauded Congress president Rahul Gandhi and also his sister Priyanka Gandhi, who had been named general secretary and set to play a role in Lok Sabha elections.