Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah called on Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray late on Thursday during his visit to Mumbai but only after the latter caved in and made two phone calls to invite him, a sign that the BJP is gaining the upper hand in the battle of nerves within the alliance.
It is the first time in the Sena’s history that the party chief has had to request a courtesy call from its ally. The Shiv Sena has traditionally been the Big Brother in the saffron alliance but this status has been challenged by a resurgent BJP which is demanding an equal share in assembly seats for the Maharashtra polls.
The Shiv Sena had made Mr. Shah’s visit to the Thackeray residence a prestige issue since his schedule for his maiden trip to Mumbai pointedly made no mention of it. On Wednesday, party activists went on the offensive, circulating images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh bowing before Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray.
However, behind the scenes, the Sena began showing signs of desperation. Mr. Thackeray made a call to Amit Shah both on Wednesday and Thursday. Party MP Sanjay Raut also called on Mr Shah in Delhi. By the afternoon, the tension between the allies defused with Mr. Shah paying his respects at Bal Thackeray’s memorial.
