Mumbai, Nov 13 (IANS): The Shiv Sena Thursday said that the BJP government in Maharashtra won the vote of confidence in the assembly Wednesday, but lost the trust of the people.

The Shiv Sena rejected the vote of confidence won by the government in a voice vote without division of votes in the Maharashtra assembly Wednesday and said the BJP has forfeited the people's faith in the government on its very first day in governance.

"They have strangulated democracy. It's a sin for which there is no expiation. A party which threw all norms to the winds to stick to power should not - at least now - speak about bad governance," the Sena said in a sharp editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' Thursday.

The Sena wondered how a party, which trampled upon all democratic norms and traditions to win the vote of confidence in the assembly, could ever be able to win the peoples' credence. "The people of the country will reject it."

Attacking the government for the manner in which it sought a voice vote during a chaotic situation, the Sena pointed out that the BJP's promises of providing clean governance were proved wrong on the very first day.

Questioning the government's contention that the demand for polling was delayed by the opposition, the party said that they were trying to shelter behind technicalities and they could have easily honoured the opposition demand for division of votes by polling.

"Was it because the government was apprehensive that a corrupt party which was supporting them could get into trouble? Or was it that the government itself lacked confidence of the kind of majority support it enjoyed in the house?" the Sena asked.

It cautioned the government that it would have to reply to the people of Maharashtra on why all constitutional norms and proprieties were violated in winning the confidence vote on the floor of the assembly.