Pressure mounting on Uddhav, BJP weighing options

Although the mandate put BJP the single-largest party in the recently concluded Assembly polls, it fell short of a clear majority. The party still needs 23 more seats to form Government in the 288-seat Assembly. Estranged-ally Shiv Sena is rumored to be the natural choice for saffron brigade. But, recent pre-poll developments blotted a “red-mark” on Shiv Sena’s chances. BJP and Shiv Sena parted ways just before the election ending their 25-year coalition over differences in seat-sharing agreement. Soon after that, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray’s vicious personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the party mouthpiece Samnaa right on the polling day had drawn widespread criticism. Uddhav later retracted from his statements. Now, that the mandate has been out with BJP clearly ahed of its erstwhile ally, who won only 63 seats, Shiv Sena has been reported by media to extend “olive branch” to BJP and Modi.

Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday reportedly made a phone call to BJP president Amit Shah, media reports said. Thackeray also spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 10-minute conversation. Uddhav reportedly reached out to the BJP and asked for the past to be forgotten and said that the two parties move forward in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena chief also spoke to Maharashtra BJP President Devendra Fadnavis, the front-runner for the chief minister’s post and senior state BJP leader Om Mathur.

It has been learnt that, Uddhav Thackeray, on Monday morning met newly elected party legislators at Sena Bhavan. Media reported that, Sena MLA’s are mounting pressure on Uddhav to lend support to BJP. Though no decision is taken on the issue yet, sources said, senior state leaders of the two parties met on Monday morning and at the meeting, Shiv Sena is learnt to have agreed to lend support to the BJP government. Media reported that, details of the Government formation are being worked out by the senior functionaries of the two parties. As a result, Union Minister Rajnath Singh who was scheduled to visit Maharashtra on Monday to assess the Government formation has reportedly postponed the visit for a day. He will now visit the state on Tuesday. The BJP and the Sena last governed Maharashtra together from 1995 to 1999. The Sena was the lead player; the BJP was its junior partner.

The Shiv Sena’s “U-Turn” came in the wake of Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which won 41 seats, offered unconditional “outside” support to BJP on Government formation in Maharashtra. But BJP sources said, party is reluctant to form Government on the basis of outside support. Apart from that, before elections, BJP reiterated that they’ll never be going to partner with NCP to form Government, if situation arise.  It is noteworthy to mention that, like BJP-Shiv Sena coalition broke on seat-sharing issue, Congress-NCP coalition, which ruled the previous successive governments in the state also fell off after seat-sharing deal didn’t materialize.

Sena is now trying every possible way to mend ways with its erstwhile partner. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting a dinner for all his ministers on Monday evening. The meeting is likely to be attended by all his 44 ministers. It has been learnt that the only minister in Union cabinet from Shiv Sena, Anant Geete is expected to attend the meet. The visit of Geete is crucial since he resigned from his post just before the Maharashtra polls, after the Sena-BJP ties ended.

BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday said at a post-results press conference that it was the Shiv Sena which had ended the alliance, not the BJP. Political experts feel that, by making this statement, BJP kept the door open of alliance open. Media reported that Sena may demand deputy chief minister's post, but BJP on Monday made it clear that it will not accept any pre-conditions for support.