The veritable storm, which erupted in Shiv Sena days after its bête noire, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), decided to support the BJP in the state without joining the NDA or the saffron Grand Alliance, does not seem to have died down.
Urging BJP to pull up its socks ahead of General Elections, Shiv Sena said that there is a crisis of confidence.
In an editorial in Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, party’s chief Uddhav Thackeray said that the Bharatiya Janata Party has angered its allies.
If Narendra Modi is to become the prime minister, allies need to be won over, wrote Uddhav.
The editorial also added that Shiv Sena will not compromise on the issue of Hindutva and is capable of fighting its own battle.
Albeit the BJP has tried to mollify its oldest ally Shiv Sena, yet all such efforts seem to have failed.
BJP general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Rajiv Pratap Rudy had to rush to Mumbai to meet Uddhav along with other senior leaders.
The mood in the Shiv Sena soured after MNS chief Raj Thackeray last Sunday announced support for Modi without joining either the NDA or the five-party saffron “Grand Alliance” in the state. He also announced the putting up of MNS candidates against Shiv Sena nominees, except in Pune.
Uddhav spoke out his mind when he charged his estranged cousin Raj of attempting to garner votes by capitalising on Modi’s name.
On Tuesday, in an attempt to defuse the crisis, senior BJP leaders, including Modi, spoke to Uddhav and reassured him about continuing the alliance with Shiv Sena.
—IANS