In a move to mend differences with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena on Monday announced that it will support any leader from the BJP who will be given the task to lead the state. The party even toned down its aggressive stand against the division of Maharashtra, which is said to be on the BJP’s agenda.
“The people’s blessings cannot to be confined within limits. Shiv Sena will stand with absolute force and courage with whoever is given the chance to ride the chariot to take Maharashtra forward,” said an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna.
Following the Maharashtra state assembly results, the Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had said that his party will extend support to the BJP only after the assurance of united Maharashtra. The Sena is against the division of the state by forming a new statehood of Vidarbha. The state BJP leadership however is in favour of a new state.
Sena’s changed position comes in response to the statement of Senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde on Sunday, where he said that the BJP wanted a tie-up with the Sena, but without any condition. There is growing frustration within the Shiv Sena which has been kept on hold by the BJP ever since the election results. With the meeting to select the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate to be held on Tuesday, the Sena seem to be putting its last effort to woo the BJP leadership.
The editorial however reiterated the party’s stand on united Maharashtra, but in a mild manner. “Maharashtra should not divide itself over the differences of castes, sub-castes and region. It should remain united. At some point of time, the BJP’s Chief Minister will have to work for the united state, keeping the political position aside,” said the editorial.
“Maharashtra has kept its pride intact since Chhatrapati Shivaji’s time. It would be great if new rulers too follow the same path,” it said.
Recounting the names of several contenders within the BJP for the CM’s post, the editorial said that the ultimate decision lies with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP President Amit Shah. “The BJP won more seats because of Modi and Shah,” it said. Claiming that the Sena never differentiated between Hindus on the basis of region, the editorial hinted that certain community voted only for a particular party. “However BJP’s win is better than the win of the Congress and the NCP.
The editorial added that attempts are made to defame the Sena by spreading false news items. “Do not test our patience. Your joy of doing such things will not last longer,” it said.
FAQ on the BJP-Sena split
Maharashtra went to the polls on October 15, 2014. For the first time in two decades, it witnessed a five-cornered contest as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena ended their 25-year alliance (and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress their 15-year coalition) and with Maharashtra Navanirman Sena also being in the fray. On October 19 the results of the Maharashtra bypolls were announced and the BJP won in a simple majority with 123 seats while the Shiv Sena won 63.
What led to the BJP-Sena split?
The main reason for the split was the failure to reach a consensus over seat-sharing for the Assembly elections. While the BJP demanded at least 130 seats, Shiv Sena refused to give its ally more than 119. Earlier, Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray expressed his desire for the Chief Minister’s post, which the BJP refused to accept.
What’s the status quo?
On October 27th, the Shiv Sena announced that it will support any CM candidate from the BJP. Even as a section of the BJP State unit continues to lobby for a minority government in Maharashtra with the help of Independents, the party announced that it wanted a tie-up with its estranged ally, the Shiv Sena. However, this announcement came with the rider that the Sena should come on board without any conditions.
How did the parties come together in Maharashtra 25 years ago?
The BJP and Shiv Sena came together to forge an alliance in Maharashtra in 1989. Shiv Sena had always had the upper hand among the two parties in the State, with major share of the seats going to the Sena. The Sena came to power in 1995, and stayed in power for a term. Though they were out of the hot seat for the last 15 years, together they were strong as the opposition party. Shiv Sena was part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, the relationship has faced many ups and downs over the years. After Bal Thackeray’s death in 2012, former BJP president Nitin Gadkari was against continuing the alliance with the Sena’s new chief Uddhav Thackeray.
