Mumbai: The Shiv Sena is still reeling from the shock of being ditched by the BJP, with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray insisting it was their partner who decided to break the 25-year-old alliance.

Whether at meetings with reporters or during interviews, Thackeray has been persistently saying he could not comprehend what set off the BJP’s decision to break away even though his party has been able to field candidates in almost all of the 288 assembly constituencies in Maharashtra.

He has also taken a dig at the state BJP wanting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address over 22 rallies in the state before the polls on October 15.

“I have nothing against Modi. But it is very clear that if there was indeed a ‘Modi wave’ in the state, they would not have asked him to hold so many rallies. It is the first time that a PM will hold so many rallies before the assembly polls,” Thackeray said.

The Sena president was addressing reporters at his residence in Mumbai, on the sidelines of a meeting with a delegation of Maharashtra Sikh Association workers, who have announced their support to his party.

It is not clear how many rallies Modi will address but BJP general secretary in Maharashtra Rajiv Pratap Rudy had on Tuesday said Modi would address between 22 and 24 election meetings from October 4-13.

On the party’s u-turn over the issue of withdrawing its lone member in the union cabinet, Anant Geete, Thackeray clarified that the Sena was not interested in clinging to any ministerial position.

“I have made it clear that he would resign after the PM returns from his foreign tour. We will also discuss with Modi what went wrong and why the alliance was snapped.”

On Monday he had said that the Sena would ask Geete to put in his papers and the next day he had said, “Joining NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and then pulling out is not that easy. All MPs who have been elected and those who could not win have bagged votes of both Shiv Sena and BJP. It is the people’s mandate.”

He also dismissed speculation about any post-poll alliance with his cousin Raj Thackeray, saying that he had called him out of “courtesy” to inquire about his health.

Meanwhile the Sena, in its party’s mouthpiece Saamna, on Tuesday stated that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had criticised the state BJP for snapping ties with the Sena.

When BJP leaders, at a ‘secret’ meeting on September 28, sought the RSS guidance on how to approach the electorate in Maharashtra, they were asked by RSS leaders, “Did you consult us before breaking the alliance? Why is BJP running away from Hindutva? Or did you break it because of your selfish interests ... This has created division among Hindus.”