BJP ties up with Cong to isolate Sena

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, July 28

Bitter war of words between the BJP and its ally Shiv Sena has resulted in the former springing a surprise by tying up with a Congress rump to isolate the regional party in the town of Kolhapur.

The BJP on Monday tied up with the local Tararani Aghadi, a coalition formed by the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party leaders in the town to contest the forthcoming Kolhapur Municipal Corporation (KMC) elections.

Party sources said here BJP president Amit Shah gave the go-ahead to form local-level alliances to isolate the Shiv Sena across Maharashtra. State PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil, who was leading the negotiations with the Shiv Sena on sharing of seats, abruptly broke talks and announced on Monday that his party would be tying up with the front.

The Tararani Aghadi is led by Congress leader Mahadevrao Mahadik. His son Amal is a BJP MLA while nephew Dhananjay is a Member of Parliament from the NCP. Patil told reporters here today that the BJP was holding talks with the Tararani Aghadi on sharing of seats for the KMC in a bid to isolate the Shiv Sena completely.