The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a whip to its cadre for extending full support to the Shiv Sena candidates in the constituencies the party is not contesting. Sources in the party confirmed that the instructions have directly come from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, especially for three seats in Mumbai where Sena’s Arvind Sawant is contesting from South Mumbai, Rahul Shewale from Mumbai South Central, and Gajanan Kirtikar from Mumbai North West.

The BJP and the Sena have a seat-sharing alliance of 25-23 respectively for election to the 48 Lok Sabha seats. The two will fight equal seats for the Assembly elections. But in the run-up to the pact, the Sena was attacking the BJP, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and polices. However, seeing a ‘mild lull’ in the Modi wave, the party has now asked the cadre to fully extend support to the Sena candidates, party leaders said. “The party has issued a whip to help the Sena candidates and even campaign for them. It is also part of the party’s instructions to workers to ensure the BJP votes are transferred to the Sena in Mumbai’s three seats,” a senior BJP functionary said.

Sitting MP Mr. Sawant is fighting Congress’s Milind Deora in South Mumbai. Mr. Sawant faces a tough challenge considering the constituency has a large share of Gujarati voters. Mr. Shewale in Mumbai South Central is contesting against Congress’ Eknath Gaikwad, while Mr. Kirtikar faces a tough competition from senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam in Mumbai North West.

The BJP workers have also been told to avoid internal clashes in the seats the Sena is contesting. All energies must be channelled towards working for a Sena win, even though it is opposing the candidature of BJP leader Kirit Somaiya from North East.

The BJP wants to ensure it does not antagonise Sena cadre and their support following the disagreement over Mr. Somaiya’s candidature. “Sena workers have informed their party high command that if Mr. Somaiya was fielded they would even defy any party whip to field an independent against him. We do not want this clash to help the Congress, and hence the whip to help Sena candidates,” a senior BJP leader said.