The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has said it is not fazed by the Shiv Sena’s chief ministerial aspirations in the run-up to the Assembly elections in the State.
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil said the alliance partner has the right to hold ambitions for the CM post as long as the BJP’s own wishes are acknowledged by the junior partner.
When asked if the Sena was trying to project Yuva sena chief Aaditya Thackeray as the next CM during the party’s Jan Aashirwad Yatra across the State, Mr. Patil said there was nothing wrong with the Sena holding an ‘aspiration’ for the coveted post. “Everybody has the right to demand and the right to have aspirations. Every organisation and individual should have ambition or their efforts turn listless. The Sena is right in aspiring for the CM’s post, but it has not conveyed the feelings to us yet,” Mr. Patil, the State Revenue Minister said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The BJP, meanwhile, has not finalised the chief ministerial candidate yet, he said.
The BJP’s Maha Janadesh Yatra scheduled for next month is being seen as a move to counter the Sena’s tour of the State, which has fuelled speculation that Mr. Thackeray is being prepared for the role of CM.
‘Different tours’
Mr. Patil said, “Both yatras are different and not likely to cross paths, physically or ideologically. As far as the race for the post of chief minister is concerned, our leader will be decided by Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. However, both parties are aspiring to secure a win for the coalition.”
The BJP’s month-long yatra will be flagged off by Mr. Shah on August 1, while it would be concluded during an event likely to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “We have sent invitations to both leaders and are confident of their participation,” Mr. Patil said.
The Opposition, meanwhile, has alleged that the road show, in which Mr. Fadnavis and the State Cabinet will cover 152 of the 288 Assembly constituencies, will hamper governance. Mr. Fadnavis is likely to address 150 rallies.
Mr. Patil said ministers have been asked to clear seven to eight files when on the road. “The CM will attend the last Cabinet meeting in September. He is more than capable of running this government on the move. There is no basis to this criticism,” he said.
The road show will cover 1,232 km in Vidarbha, 633 km in north Maharastra, 1,069 km in Marathwada, another 812 km in western Maharashtra, and 638 km in Konkan. “We will convey the message of our work to the people. The idea is to ask the voter to consider the government’s performance in the past five years,” Mr. Patil said.
