Sena betrayed us, says BJP; may fight 2019 alone

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, May 21

Maharashtra's BJP leaders grudgingly admit that their party may not have any tie-up with the Shiv Sena for the 2019 Lok Sabha and assembly elections.

"We won't be approaching the Shiv Sena for a tie-up for the 2019 elections. However we will consider an alliance if the Shiv Sena approaches it," Maharashtra minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, a senior BJP leader, said.

Speaking to reporters here on Sunday evening, Mungantiwar admitted to being snubbed by the leaders of the regional party when approached for negotiations on a tie-up. According to BJP sources, attempts by Mungantiwar to meet with Uddhav Thackeray were thwarted by Matoshree and even his calls to the Shiv Sena chief were not put through.

BJP leaders said the Shiv Sena's fielding of a candidate for the Palghar Lok Sabha seat came as a major blow to the saffron party. “The Shiv Sena has betrayed us. On May 1, both Uddhav Thackeray and (Industries Minister) Subhash Desai said they would support the BJP's candidate. On May 3, they broke the promise and put up Shrinivas Wanga as the candidate for the by-election,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.

Shrinivas is the son of former BJP MP Chintaman Wanga, who died earlier this year.

With almost the entire party set up in Palghar crossing over to the Shiv Sena, the BJP fielded Congress leader Rajendra Gavit, who defected to the party shortly before filing his nomination papers.

With the Shiv Sena backing it, the Wanga family has filed complaints against the BJP for using the pictures of the late MP in the election campaign.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who vowed to contest all future elections without allying with the BJP, has become shriller after the recent developments in Karnataka. Shortly after BS Yeddyurappa took the oath of office as chief minister, Thackeray accused Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala of encouraging horse-trading.