Maharashtra polls: Manish Tewari takes on BJP, Shiv Sena

Taking a jibe at the shaky alliance between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP and Shiv Sena ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, Congress leader Manish Tewari on Sunday said it is up to the people of the state to decide as to whom they want.

"It is up to the people of Maharashtra, who have to decide what kind of alliance they want, whether they want an alliance that has been serving the state for 15 years or they want an alliance that has started bickering among themselves before the elections over distribution of seats," Tewari told ANI here.

"People of the state have to decide whether they want to see those people form the government who are committed to social service or those who serve only themselves," he added.

The friction between the two political parties intensified after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray delivered a sharp warning to the BJP about 'lust for power' in the party mouthpiece 'Saamna'.

The Maharashtra assembly poll is scheduled to be held on October 15.

According to reports, the BJP wants to have a greater share of Maharashtra's 288 assembly seats, crediting the verdict of the Lok Sabha polls to be a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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The BJP won 23 of Maharashtra's 48 seats while the Shiv Sena won 18 in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress-NCP alliance, which has governed Maharashtra since 1999, emerged victorious in only six seats.