Emboldened after emerging as the single largest party in the keenly-fought Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation (KDMC) elections, the Shiv Sena today suggested "those who have lost" to introspect - an apparent taunt to BJP which is its senior partner in the NDA.
Launching a veiled attack on BJP, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party noted that while "entire Maharashtra cabinet" (including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis) had turned up to campaign for candidates of the NDA major, it is the Shiv Sena which managed to win people's confidence.
"Shiv Sena is Shiv Sena and no one can put it on back foot. Entire Maharashtra government (ministers) had turned up (for campaigning) in Kalyan-Dombivli. Still Sena has succeeded in winning people's confidence.
"This is Sena's bastion, it never relied on use of money and power. We humbly accept the result and those who have lost should introspect," senior Shiv Sena leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said.
Shiv Sena today emerged as the single largest party in the bitterly fought Kalyan-Dombivali Municipal Corporation polls bagging 52 seats but fell short of a clear majority in the 122-member body, the battle for which had witnessed acrimony with ally BJP hitting a new low.
The BJP came second winning 42 seats in the civic body, practically an extension of the sprawling metropolis, sharply improving its earlier tally of nine. The Congress-NCP combine was relegated to the fourth position with six seats behind the Raj Thackeray-led MNS which bagged nine seats.
