Uddhav Thackeray
STUNG at being omitted in the Union cabinet reshuffle, the Shiv Sena leadership went into a huddle on Monday to chart its future course of action. The meeting was called by Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray at his residence.
The Sena had on Saturday said the decision to keep allies out of the expansion symbolised the BJP’s arrogance. While the party claimed henceforth it will fight elections on its own, there were deliberations on whether associating itself with the BJP was helping the party or hampering its future.
A section of younger Sena leaders wants to discontinue their association with the BJP. While the party discussed the ramifications of contesting alone in the future, the leadership felt steps need to be taken to strengthen the party base in rural areas before pulling the plug on the relationship.
“The only discussion we had today was on how to strengthen the party base further. Gram panchayat elections are round the corner and today’s discussions centred on strategies the party should adopt for these elections,” said Sena MP Sanjay Raut.
During the meeting, Thackeray is reported to have taken a swipe at Jain saints. The Sena had earlier this month charged the BJP with using “money” and “muni” (monk) to win polls, referring to a Jain monk who reportedly made a videographed plea to community members to vote for the BJP in the Mira-Bhayander municpal elections.
Thackeray is reported to have told Sena leaders they should ensure “no Jain monk turns into a Zakir Naik”, sources said.
For a party that sees itself as a dominant regional force, the Sena over the past two years has had to face the hard political reality that in the coming years it may be forced to play second-fiddle to the BJP.
There are 27 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, of which 18 went to polls after the Narendra Modi-led BJP attained power, both in the Centre and Maharashtra. After 2014, of the 2,050 seats in these 18 corporations, the BJP won a massive 653 seats. The Sena stands at a distant second with 369 seats. Of these 18 municipalities, the BJP now controls a dozen.
