Corrupt and helpless united for unholy alliance, says Ashok Chavan on BJP-Shiv Sena alliance

Terming the BJP-Shiv Sena poll alliance as "unholy and immoral," Maharashtra Congress has said that the tie-up brings together "the corrupt and the helpless".

Launching a scathing attack on the two parties who announced the seat-sharing, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Ashok Chavan said, "In the past, Uddhav Thackeray had called Amit Shah 'Afzal Khan' and Amit Shah had called Uddhav Thackeray a 'rat', and today, ironically, they sat together to announce the alliance."

Chavan further called out Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's previous hollow and bogus statements of not forging an alliance.

"During the last Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections, Shiv Sena had released a booklet on corrupt BJP ministers. Today using the paper from the same booklet, Shiv Sena made flowers to welcome Amit Shah in Mumbai. Uddhav Thackeray's past statements of Shiv Sena not allying with BJP were bogus and hollow."

The Congress leader also stated that Shiv Sena had betrayed his party men for power.

"Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray has betrayed his party men and compromised their interest. I fully sympathise with Shiv Sainiks who feel cheated by their own party. I am confident that they will work with the Congress Party to dislodge Modi sarkar from the country and this state," Chavan said.

BJP chief Amit Shah on Monday announced an alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena for the upcoming elections.

As per the arrangement, Shiv Sena will contest 23 seats, and BJP 25 seats of 48 Lok Sabha seats at stake in the state. In the Vidhan Sabha elections, they will contest on an equal number of seats.