BJP’s long-standing ally Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha M.P. Sanjau Raut has created uneasiness in the already strained relationship between the two parties by stating that the ‘Modi wave’ is a thing of the past and asserting that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi alone possessed the requisite leadership qualities to rule the country.

A senior leader of the Shiv Sena, which has been an ally of the BJP right from the early nineties, Raut’s comments have ruffled several feathers within his own party as well as the BJP. Shiv Sena was even part of the Atal Behari Vajpayee-led BJP Govt. in the late nineties. For the past few months, thouth, the Sena has been highly critical of the BJP in general and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in particular.

BJP, which is predicted to win the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls for a fifth consecutive term, is still wary of the ‘backlash’ from the voters who are upset with the BJP for ‘forcing’ demonetization and GST on them. Moreover, revolt by the dominant Patel community is another factor which worries the BJP a lot. Taking part in a recent televised interview, Raut said that the ‘Modi wave’ which swept the BJP to power during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls is now a ‘thing of the past’.

“People of Surat, like in rest of the country, took to streets to protest against GST; BJP faces an acid test in Gujarat,” he said and added that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi alone possessed the leadership quality in today’s context to lead the country and the Government. “We can no more say he is a political novice; it would be a huge mistake to continue to say so,” Raut concluded.