Withdraw from Palghar if you want our help: Sena to BJP

The Shiv Sena took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis criticised the Sena over its decision to contest the Palghar Lok Sabha by-poll. Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said ‘the BJP is in a state of turmoil’, and called for withdrawal of the BJP candidate if the party expected the Shiv Sena’s co-operation.

“First they should sit and discuss with us. Nobody can pressurise us like this. It is Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray’s decision that we should contest the elections on our own strength,” Mr Raut said. The BJP’s late MP Chintaman Wanga’s son Shrinivas Wanga on Tuesday filed his nomination on behalf of the Sena, which upset the BJP. Mr. Fadnavis said he did not expect this behaviour from the Sena.

Countering Mr. Fadnavis’ contention that the seat belonged to the BJP, the Sena MP said, “If that is so, then why did you have to hire a candidate from the Congress to contest it, especially when he had contested against the late Wanga?” Former Congress minister Rajendra Gavit is the BJP’s candidate for this by-poll.

Mr. Fadnavis had sworn that the BJP would win Palghar, “come what may.” Mr. Raut said the party should withdraw its candidate Rajendra Gavit from the by-elections, if the CM really hoped for the Sena’s cooperation. He said the party might consider contesting another Lok Sabha by-poll of Bhandara-Gondia as it wanted to display its strength and self-respect.

The Bhandara-Gondiya seat fell vacant in December 2017 after BJP MP Nana Patole quit the party and joined the Congress. The Nationalist Congress Party has declared Madhukar Kakde as its candidate for the seat.

Council polls

BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane has extended support to NCP candidate Aniket Tatkare in the Konkan Council constituency polls against the Shiv Sena. Mr. Rane said, when he was in Congress, he had supported the NCP candidate.