Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has repented for having 25 years alliance with BJP.

Addressing Shiv Sena members virtually on the 96^th birth anniversary of the party founder and his father Bal Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray accused the BJP of using Hindutva for its political convenience.

Referring to BJP’s old alliance partners, Akali Dal and Shiv Sena have already walked out. He said that Shiv Sena had aligned with BJP for taking forward the agenda of Hindutva through power.

"Shiv Sena had aligned with BJP as it wanted power for Hindutva. Sena never used Hindutva for the sake of power. The Sena has left the BJP and not Hindutva. I believe that BJP's opportunistic Hindutva is only for power”, Mr.Thackeray said.

"We supported the BJP wholeheartedly to enable them to fulfil their national ambitions. The understanding was they will go national while we will lead in Maharashtra. But we were betrayed and attempts were made to destroy us in our home. So we had to hit back, " Mr Thackeray said, justifying his decision to align with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party after the 2019 elections.

"BJP doesn't mean Hindutva. I stand by my comment that Shiv Sena had wasted 25 years in alliance with BJP," Mr. Thackeray admitted.

BJP uses its alliance and later dumps its partners for its political convenience. Shiv Sena abounded BJP, not for power. He said Shiv Sena had left the BJP but not its Hindutva ideology.

The Sena deserted the BJP and formed Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in 2019 with NCP and Congress.