Despite the party repeating its best-ever tally of 18 seats, there is trepidation within the Shiv Sena over the BJP asserting itself after securing a stronger mandate in the Lok Sabha elections. Sena leaders fear a repeat of 2014 when the BJP ditched it just before the Maharashtra Assembly elections to emerge as the single-largest party.
“There are chances that the BJP may try to corner us before the state Assembly polls after its runaway success in the Lok Sabha elections,” admitted a senior Shiv Sena leader.
A BJP leader admitted that the results had led to Sena's bargaining power declining for the state Assembly polls with the resurgent BJP seeking to assert itself.