The CM’s approach towards the warring Sena marked diametrical opposite approach as he pulled down the curtains to the bitterness during the fiercely contested elections in Palghar. (Express Photo by Nirmal Harindran)
While declaring truce with its alliance partner Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday offered to resume dialogue for pre-poll alliance ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The CM’s approach towards the warring Sena marked diametrical opposite approach as he pulled down the curtains to the bitterness during the fiercely contested elections in Palghar.
“The BJP has always maintained to bring on board idelologically like minded parties together to fight the political rivals Congress. The alliance between Sena and BJP is open ended,” Fadnavis said. Citing the example of alliance of opportunism in states of Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, Fadnavis said, “I don’t see any problem in talking with Sena which has been our alliance partner for last 25 years. We share the same ideology. There should be no problems.”
Interestingly, Fadnavis’ generous handholding of Shiv Sena comes on a day when Uddhav Thackeray refused to acknowledge BJP’s victory in Palghar. Notwithstanding the party positioning on both the sides, it was evident that political battle was not going to have any adverse impact on the coalition government in Maharashtra. The BJP and Sena leaders were unaimous in citing how the election bitterness was confined to street battle and not stretched to the coalition government in Maharashtra or at the Centre.
“The Shiv Sena is not going to withdraw from NDA,” was the message loudly conveyed to the BJP headquarters and CM hours after the election results were declared. Highly placed sources in the Sena also reciprocrated with BJP leaders to dismiss such speculations in wake of the poll results.
The BJP political managers indicated that even if Sena were to pull out support, they had a “plan B” in place. They said the party had the support of smaller and independent allies to take their tally from 122 seats to 145, which is the required numbers in the state assembly of 288 seats.
Analysing the mixed poll outcome for BJP in two parlimentary seats of Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia, Fadnavis said, “ I attribute the victory in Palghar to the people who have endorsed our development and reforms. It is the real tribute to our late Chintaman Wanaga who always held BJP supreme.”
On Bhandara-Gondia, he said, “It can be attributed to some degree of anti-incumbency in wake of severe drought in the district which received poor rainfall.” While admitting the code of conduct lead to farmers failing to get their relief and compensation for crop loss, he said, “Madhukar Kukade, who is a former BJP candidate, was fielded by NCP, whose non-controversial image worked to their advantage.” Unfortunately, Kukade would remain the NCP MP for just nine months, as they would not field him in 2019, Fadnavis said. “BJP is confident of bagging the Bhandara-Gondia seat in big battle in 2019,” he confidently announced.
Expressing his concerns over the defeat of Shiv Sena’s candidate Shriniwas Wanaga, son of late Chintaman Wanaga, the CM described him as part of the BJP parivar. “The doors of BJP will always remain wide open for Shriniwas Wanaga and his family,” the BJP leader said.