Mumbai: The Maharashtra higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday said that there was no proposal under BJP’s consideration for an alliance with the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena adding that if at all there is any proposal it has to first come before the 13-member core committee which takes a decision. There is no proposal so far.
Patil’s statement comes in the wake of growing bonhomie between BJP and MNS and recent meetings between a number of BJP leaders and Raj Thackeray.
Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar and a couple of other party leaders recently met the MNS chief who especially thanked Fadnavis for the withdrawal of the BJP nominee from the Andheri East by-election against the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray nominee Rutuja Latke accepting his request in this regard.
Already, MNS leader Raj Thackeray at a recent party meeting had announced that the party will go solo in the upcoming BMC elections.
‘’There is no proposal yet for a tie-up between BJP and MNS. There is no discussion also. A proposal for an alliance has to first come up before the 13 members' core committee which takes a final decision after thorough deliberations. So, there is no decision yet,’’ reiterated Patil.
Patil in January this year in his capacity as the state BJP chief had ruled out an alliance with MNS. He, however, noted that the path of Hindutva will help MNS politically.
Patil’s statement came days after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Fadnavis attended the illumination of Shivaji Park by MNS in the presence of Raj Thackeray.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said there was no political discussion with Raj Thackeray.
