Palghar bypoll: Sena accuses BJP of 'betraying' its late MP

Shiv Sena today accused the BJP of "betraying" its late Palghar MP Chintaman Wanga by turning its back on his family and fielding Congress deserter for the Lok Sabha seat bypoll.

The bickering ally claimed the BJP did not to bother to take care of Wanga's family and that none of its central leaders turned up to pay last respects to the parliamentarian after his death in New Delhi in January this year.

The remarks came two days after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accused the Shiv Sena of betraying the BJP by fielding Wanga's son for the Palghar bypoll.

He had claimed the Sena knew that the BJP was already planning to nominate someone from Wanga's family for the by-election, scheduled on May 28.

Taking potshots at the senior alliance partner for fielding Rajendra Gavit, who recently left the Congress to join the saffron party, the Sena said, "It seems the BJP has democratically won the right to buy and flee with legislators, as was evident in Karnataka."
The BJP's office was at a distance of just five minutes from Wanga's residence where he died in Delhi, it claimed, adding that "the party's president, Amit Shah, lives three minutes away."