12. Congress-NCP divorce
While The BJP and Shiv Sena ended their 25-year-old relationship that helped shape Hindu revivalist politics in the country, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) snapped ties 15 years after it allied with the Congress.
"We have decided to chart our independent path along with some secular-minded parties," state NCP chief Sunil Tatkare said.
NCP leader Praful Patel expressed regret over the Congress' failure to finalise a seat sharing arrangement with the NCP and other secular parties even two days before the deadline for nominations on September 27.
Praful Patel said the party has decided to contest elections independently, will also try to take support from secular and like-minded parties.
"We regret to say that even after being together for a long time, a pragmatic decision was not taken within Congress", Patel had said.
The NCP also decided to quit the Congress-led government in the state, reducing the Congress government to a minority in the legislature.
Buoyed by its performance in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the NCP demanded 144 seats to contest the polls, which the Congress refused.
Eventually post Maharashtra Asembly polls in which the BJP secured 122 seats, needed support from another party. NCP conceded but later retracted displaying lack of trust for the BJP.
