Mumbai, Feb 14: Though leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are holding talks with the Shiv Sena leaders to convince them to stay in the coalition in Maharashtra, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party ruled out the possibility of reconciliation. The BJP is trying hard to convince the Shiv Sena to agree to an amicable seat sharing formula that will not hamper the interest of either party.
“In a marriage, husband and wife fight. But I want my wife to stay with me. I don’t want a divorce,” a BJP leader, as reported by News18, said at one of the meetings with select Shiv Sena leaders close to Uddhav Thackeray. However, a Shiv Sena leader snapped back immediately, “Our party is the husband in this relationship. And there is no question of this divorce being called off.”
While the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to convince its estranged ally, the Shiv Sena seems in no mood to take a step back. “In Shiv Sena, only one person takes all the decisions. And that is Uddhav Thackeray. He has reiterated that we will fight and win the coming elections single-handedly. Talks, if any, with any other leaders, will yield no fruits,” a senior Sena leader was quoted as saying.
Another Shiv Sena leader said if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah arrive at Matoshree to visit Uddhav Thackeray, there can be a way out. Several rounds of talks have been held to reach out at mutual understanding. Notably, Shiv Sena MP and editor of Saamana newspaper Sanjay Raut was not a part of these meetings.
Last month, Shiv Sena announced that it will contest Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly elections, due next year, independently and not in alliance with the BJP. Ahead of the Assembly elections in 2014, Shiv Sena had decided to part ways with its ally BJP but that separation, however, was short-lived as the two reconciled after just 40 days. However, the two parties have been at loggerheads ever since the BJP has come to power in Maharashtra, the citadel of Shiv Sena.