Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis (file photo)
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday adopted the strategy of “wait and watch” after Shiv Sena declared its decision to contest the 2019 Lok Sabha and state assembly elections alone.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is in Davos, said, “ Let us wait. They (Shiv Sena) have been saying many things. But I don’t want to comment on that…As of now we (Shiv Sena and BJP ) are in the government. This government will complete its full term. What ever it takes, I am confident of next term also.”
Fadnavis’ statement has conveyed a strong message that he is not worried about the stability to the government in Maharashtra. Moreover, his assertion that he would also get the next term in Maharashtra also signals BJP finds the going good in the state.
Political managers in the BJP said, “While Shiv Sena may have adopted aggressive posture to prepare itself for the next parliament and assembly polls, there was no question of Sena breaking alliance with BJP at the moment.”
Secondly, political strategy of alliances would be worked a few months ahead of the elections.
Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar said, “The BJP was ready for the pre-poll alliance with Shiv Sena for the next elections. But Shiv Sena has started talking of going to polls alone. If they don’t want alliance, BJP is all prepared to face the polls on its own strength. So, are the people. The loss will be for Sena. This is our evaluation based on ground reality.
Insiders in the BJP said, “In the 2014 assembly elections, Shiv Sena had taken the decision to part ways with BJP by making unreasonable demand in seat sharing. Now, we all have seen the results. The BJP with 122 seats out of 288 seats was way ahead. The Shiv Sena won only 63 seats.”
The BJP believes the Sena also got 18 seats elected in Lok Sabha out of total 48 seats because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wave during 2014 general assembly polls. The BJP won 23 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. The Sena-BJP were in alliance for 2014 Lok Sabha elections. But six months later in 2014 assembly elections for Maharashtra, they decided to contest the elections separately.