In a day of high drama, the Shiv Sena stopped short of snapping ties with estranged ally Bharatiya Janata Party. Sena president Uddhav Thackeray asked BJP to choose between Sena and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP which has offered unconditional outside support to the BJP government in Maharashtra. Playing the Hindutva card as a face-saver, Uddhav claimed at a time when anti-Hindu forces (an allusion to hardline AIMIM) had reared their heads in the state, he did not want the strength of Hindutva forces to be divided.
Why did Sena call back Anil Desai before his swearing-in?
The Shiv Sena also suffered a blow with the BJP weaning away technocrat and former union minister Suresh Prabhu, who was sworn in as a union cabinet minister from the BJP quota on Sunday. Meanwhile, Sena is faced with uncertainty over its role in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government in Maharashtra, which will seek a trust vote this week. Consequently, the Sena underwent the ignominy of asking Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai, who was in Delhi to be sworn in as a minister of state in Narendra Modi's government, to return to Mumbai after talks fell through.
"We will not grovel and scrape for the sake of power," said Uddhav, adding that he had asked Desai to stay away from the oath ceremony as there was no clarity on the situation in the state. He also evaded a direct reply on whether the Sena would snap ties with the BJP-led NDA and ask union heavy industries minister Anant Geete to resign from his post.
What did Uddhav Thackeray tell the Sainiks?
Later on Sunday, even as irate party cadre shouted slogans against the BJP, Uddhav met Sena leaders and legislators to clarify his position. MLA from Kopri- Pachpakhadi in Thane, Eknath Shinde was also elected as the party's group leader in the assembly. If the Sena decides to sit in the opposition, Shinde will be the leader of the opposition.
"If the Shiv Sena was hungry for power, we would have accepted any portfolio that would have come our way," said Uddhav, who had launched a no-holds barred attack on the BJP during the assembly campaign.
What was the mood among Sainiks?
There was said to be a lot of heartburn among veteran Sena MPs who were miffed at being passed over by the leadership, which had picked first term MP Desai for the other slot.
Shiv Sena MP Anandrao Adsul attacked the BJP's attempts to "purposely push for Suresh Prabhu from our quota." A Sena leader said, "BJP leaders asked us to first participate in the swearing-in after which a decision regarding Maharashtra would be taken. This was not acceptable, as the BJP has not evolved any respectable formula for us." The Shiv Sena was also angry at getting just one minister-of-state berth.
What was Sena’s face-saving formula?
“The powers which speak of finishing off Hindus are on the rise and we have seen a flash in the elections... The Shiv Sena does not want the Hindutva forces to be divided,” said Uddhav, alleging that though the NCP has announced its support for the BJP, Pawar had also coined the term “Hindu terror” and was instrumental in the fall of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led BJP government in 1996.
What if BJP goes with NCP?
He asked the BJP to make its stance clear on getting support from the NCP. He added that if the BJP decided to go with the NCP, the Sena would sit in the opposition. The Sena will support the BJP only if its rebuffs the NCP, he added, stating that things would be clear after the election of the speaker. Uddhav hinted that the Sena was also not averse to putting up its own candidate for the speakers post.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Uddhav-Thackeray")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}