Mumbai: Political circles in the State are agog with the possibility of a break in the ruling coalition alliance. There are indications that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is preparing to divorce the ever-nagging Shiv Sena. The possibility was discussed at a special meeting of senior BJP ministers in the state government on Thursday evening.
According to one of the ministers who was in the meeting, the party is fed up due to constant pressure tactics by the Sena. He said that 29 MLAs from three parties -- Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) -- are in touch with the BJP and may switch sides if his party decides to go all out.
“We are confident that we will get support of around 29 MLAs from these three parties which will help us clear the majority mark. And if that does not happen, the best way would be to go for mid-term polls. We are ready for any possibility,” the minister said.
Two senior-most BJP leaders, the state unit chief Raosaheb Danve and organisational head Ravindra Bhusari were in Delhi on Thursday which strengthened the speculations of the BJP’s dumping Sena. Both the leaders are said to have held meetings with the party’s central leadership.
The relations between the Sena and the BJP worsened prior to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls.
This week the Sena MLAs joined hands with the Opposition to create a ruckus in the assembly demanding farm loan waiver, which put the BJP in trouble in the ongoing budget session.
