All is not well with the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance

Pune: It seems all is not well with the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance ahead of the State Assembly polls. Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray recently made a sarcastic statement on the seat-sharing issue. The Shiv Sena has kept its options open to contest all seats by going solo. The party hopes to emerge as a strong opposition party as the BJP has not offered any concrete seat-sharing formula for the State Assembly elections scheduled next month. 

Last week, top Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former minister Bhaskar Jadhav joined the Shiv Sena. While welcoming him, Thackeray said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would finalise the Shiv Sena candidates’ list.

The statement indicates that not all is well in the alliance. Fadnavis has assured the Shiv Sena at a public meeting that there would be an alliance. However, the seat-sharing formula would not be disclosed. The Shiv Sena has now become restless.

The BJP has not been treating the Shiv Sena with due respect after the former’s huge success in the Lok Sabha polls. This has displeased the Shiv Sena leaders. In Pune, the BJP is claiming all eight Assembly seats.  

The party does not want to share a single seat with the Shiv Sena.

The NCP and Congress are not in a position to win seats, which means they would sit in the opposition. Top leaders of NCP have crossed over to the BJP. NCP will struggle to find strong candidates who could win seats. The Congress seems to have given up hope of a comeback in the state polls. 

Thackeray is planning to acquire the space of the opposition party in the State Assembly polls by contesting maximum seats. It may prefer to sit in opposition if it wins substantial seats. Shiv Sena is already playing the role of the opposition party in the State government.