Modi factor fails to see party through

Shiv Sena, NCP make overtures to BJP

October 20, 2014 02:30 am | Updated November 17, 2021 04:58 am IST - MUMBAI

Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis celebrates along with his supporters at his residence after party's victory in the Assembly elections, in Nagpur on Sunday.

Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis celebrates along with his supporters at his residence after party's victory in the Assembly elections, in Nagpur on Sunday.

It is a classic case of so near, yet so far for the BJP in the Maharashtra Assembly elections as it fell short of 22 seats to realise its dream of forming a government on its own strength. It won 123 of 288 seats in the House and is all set to form the government. Its impressive performance notwithstanding, the Modi momentum failed to carry the party to a clear mandate.

In a way, the BJP is spoilt for choice with overtures from both its former ally, the Shiv Sena, and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has offered unconditional outside support.

However, the BJP appears to be tilting towards the Sena with whom it shares power in several municipalities. In his interaction with journalists outside his residence, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who ran an aggressive campaign targeting the BJP and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sounded stoic avoiding any negative comments on the BJP.

“We have not yet received a proposal for an alliance,” was his guarded response.

Hours after the NCP offered unsolicited, unconditional outside support to the BJP, the party’s State unit president, Devendra Fadnavis, who is the frontrunner for the Chief Minister’s post, said all options were open for the party.

The BJP will now have the satisfaction of negotiating with the Sena, which has won only 63 seats, from a position of power. Not only will it be the senior partner in a future alliance but it also has the fall-back option of the NCP.

The Congress faces the worst rout in a State once considered its bastion. Reduced to just 42 seats, its only satisfaction is that it won one seat more than its former ally the NCP, which got 41 seats. The NCP, which was earlier accused of a deal with the BJP, had claimed it would not ally with non-secular parties. Its offer of support now contradicts that stand.

Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navniman Sena has been reduced to a non-entity with just one seat, down from the 13 it won in 2009. In this election, the Shiv Sena has emerged as a stronger choice for Marathi voters than its splinter group.

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