After some misgivings lately, the BJP-Shiv Sena tie-up seems to be back on track with both sides on Tuesday smoking the peace pipe and asserting that the alliance would face polls together again, both at the Centre and in Maharastra.
They, however, were non-commital about any new formula for sharing seats, which has always been a bone of contention between the two parties in Maharashtra.
The truce seems to have been arrived at with the BJP having decided to swallow its pride and continue its friendship with the Shiv Sena, keeping the larger gameplan in mind to keep the NDA intact for the next Lok Sabha elections. The 20 year-old tieup came under strain during the Presidential elections when the Shiv Sena decided to dump the NDA and vote for Pratibha Patil because she was “Maratha manoos”.
The Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray, was given the red carpet treatment by senior BJP leader LK Advani, who hosted him over lunch and end the recent misgivings. Both Maharashtra BJP and other senior Sena leaders were also present at the luncheon.
“Whatever had happened in the backdrop of Presidential election has ended today with Udhav’s meeting with Advaniji. We have decided to continue our alliance and face the elections together,” BJP general secretary and senior leader Gopi Nath Munde said at joint press conference organized here at former Maharashtra chief minister Manohar Joshi’s residence.
When asked who will be the leader of the NDA and the Prime Ministerial candidate for the alliance in the event of a possible mid-term elections in the country, Thackeray, replying diplomatically, said, “Whoever is chosen as the leader of the alliance would be acceptable to us, be it Atalji or Advaniji.” But he skirted the question of chief ministerial candidate in Maharashtra as he said, “Elections are not announced and at present we don’t have the number. When the situation will arise we will decide ourselves accordingly.”
