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Lok Sabha Election 2019: Chinks in saffron alliance armour

Insiders from BJP and Shiv Sena indicate that coordination needs to be strengthened further

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Leaders and workers from the alliance are unable to put up a show of unity in most of the constituencies, impacting poll campaign
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Even though the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have entered into a seat-sharing arrangement for the Lok Sabha elections, leaders and workers of these parties are unable to put up a show of unity in most of the constituencies which is impacting the poll campaign. The BJP is contesting on 25 seats and Sena on 23 seats in the state.

The BJP and Congress are pitted against each other in 17 seats while there is a straight fight between Shiv Sena and Congress in 10 constituencies. Sharad Pawar led NCP and BJP have face direct contest in eight seats while Shiv Sena takes on NCP in 11 seats.

Insiders from BJP and Sena indicate that the coordination at the grassroots needs to be further strengthened in 18 seats where the polling is slated for April 23 and 29. These seats include Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Palghar, North East Mumbai, South Mumbai, South Central Mumbai, Raigad, Nashik, Dindori, Dhule, Jalgaon, Satara, Ahmednagar, Madha, Kolhapur, Maval and Shirur where local leaders from both the parties have to mend differences.

Some of the Sena leaders admit that Raj Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's support to Congress and NCP has been a matter of concern as it may help lure BJP and Shiv Sena's core vote bank. In northeast Mumbai, BJP has replaced the sitting MP Kirit Somaiya by the corporator Manoj Kotak in response to strong opposition by Shiv Sena. However, Somaiya's presence is not liked by Shiv Sena as a large number of their leaders and workers are keeping themselves away from the campaign. Kotak is fielded against NCP candidate Sanjay Patil. In Thane, despite an agreement reached between senior leaders, some of the BJP corporators and workers are not participating with full steam in the campaigning of Sena nominee Rajan Vichare.

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray's press advisor Hashal Pradhan told DNA,'' There has been proper coordination at the ground level too. However, specific roles have been assigned by both the parties to its cadre in the constituencies finalised during the seat sharing arrangement.''

In Bhiwandi and other five assembly segments, BJP nominee Kapil Patil has to struggle to take Sena workers on board. In Ahmednagar, BJP incumbent MP Dilip Gandhi, who has failed to get the ticket, is not visible to campaign for the party nominee Sujay Vikhe-Patil who left the Congress to join the party. Similarly, BJP nominee Unmesh Pati, in Jalgaon, faces opposition from within.

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