Seeking to dispel doubts in the BJP camp and smoothen ruffled feathers of new and old allies, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that the bond his party shared with the Shiv Sena (Shinde) was more an emotional kind, whereas the pact it had with the NCP was purely political, but it could become an emotional one in the next 10-15 years.

Speaking at the Mahavijay-2024 Workshop in Bhiwandi on Thursday, Fadnavis appealed to BJP workers to help the new friends win their seats next year while achieving the party’s individual target of 152 seats in the Assembly. But before that the party will have to ensure victory in as many Lok Sabha seats to give PM Narendra Modi a big push to return to power in New Delhi for the third consecutive term, he said.