No alliance with Sena: Cong.

Party rules out support to Shiv Sena if it quits the government, says it will punish ‘corrupt’ Sena, BJP leaders if it comes to power

Mumbai: Ex Chief Minister of Maharashtra Prithviraj Chavan along with Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam and Dalit leader Jogendra Kawade at a press conference in Mumbai on Saturday.PTI Photo(PTI2_11_2017_000117A)

Mumbai: The Congress on Saturday strongly refuted rumours that the party will support the Shiv Sena if it should walk out of the alliance with the BJP in the State government. Speaking to reporters at the party’s headquarters, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan ruled out any truck with the Sena.

“We believe the Sena is as much responsible as the BJP for the corruption in the BMC. While they may suddenly be reminded of the good works done by the earlier Congress regimes, it does not mean we will support their government. This is just a false campaign by the Sena,” he said. Earlier, Mr. Chavan told news channels that his party had demanded an assurance from the NCP that it would not support the BJP if the alliance should break.

The rumours gained ground after Shiv Sena mouthpiece

Saamana began praising the earlier Congress-NCP governments. “Just because suddenly the

Saamana turns around and starts writing extensively on the good things that happened during Congress reign doesn’t mean we will support them. If we come to power, we will surely inquire into all their scams and even bring them to trial and jail all BJP and Sena leaders responsible for corruption in the BMC,” Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam said.

Mr. Chavan said the State government was untenable and its fate would depend on the outcome of the BMC elections. Calling the Sena ministers’ threat to quit the government as a “theatre of the absurd”, he doubted they had the courage to resign.

He also said the BJP is working hard to save its government and was resorting to unfair means in its desperation to win the crucial civic polls. “It’s a do-or-die situation for [Chief Minister Devendra] Fadnavis. He is poaching people from all parties by using all kinds of means, be it threats of inquiries against them or inducements of cash and posts.”

Accusing a BJP faction of trying to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra, Mr. Chavan said BJP national president Amit Shah wants to win Mumbai at all costs for the Gujarati community. “Gujaratis have told Mr. Shah that winning Maharashtra without Mumbai does not mean much beyond having drought-prone Marathwada on its side. The proposal for a separate CEO for Mumbai is a a precursor for separating State and capital,” he said. The Congress, he added, wants Mumbai to be in Maharashtra.

Admitting that the Congress campaign for development had been lost in the din created by the Sena-BJP bickering, he said the Sena had failed to fulfil most of the promises made in 2012.