After a friction-ridden build-up towards the swearing-in ceremony, the BJP and the Shiv Sena have patched up. The Sena will now be part of the government and will get three cabinet berths and nine ministers of state.
The announcement and other details of power sharing will be officially made before November 15 so that the government sails through comfortably in the trust vote. The BJP has got 122 seats and the Sena 62 which will help the government comfortably cross the half way mark of 145. With outside support of the NCP, the government will now have an embarrassment of riches.
What led to the patch-up?
The state BJP convinced the central leadership about the importance of taking Sena along. A highly-placed BJP source told dna that the Sena is after all its natural ally. "People have given us a mandate with a lot of responsibilities. We convinced our leaders in Delhi and they agreed to accommodate the Sena legislators." Defence minister Arun Jaitley is believed to have played a major role in breaking the ice. Once Uddhav Thackeray attended the swearing-in ceremony and shook hands with the PM, it was clear that a deal would follow.
Is the deal final?
Barring any last-minute glitches the deal will sail through. "If we are satisfied with the terms then any moment, the announcement of sharing power with BJP will be made," said Sena's Sanjay Raut. However, Raut refused to elaborate on the details of the talk and how many ministerial berths the Sena has been offered. The only glitch may be the choice of portfolios.
Is the mutual distrust over?
It is too early for the two parties to trust each other completely immediately. "Let bygone be bygones. We have to start a new chapter. We have been out of power for the past 15 years and another five years in exile will deprive us of crucial grassroots support. In politics it is important to first survive. Therefore, we decided to be part of the government though a section of the legislators wanted the party to sit in the opposition," a Sena leader said.
What will be the political fall-out?
Many feel that the Sena going with the BJP as junior partner may have some adverse repercussions for the party. The non-Marathis, particularly the North and South Indians, voted for the BJP because they do not want Sena to come to power. Now these sections may not be happy if the Sena comes back to power albeit by piggybacking on the BJP. This may weaken the BJP's position. But five years is a long time and BJP will try to work out its plan of pushing out Sena from the Hindutva and sons-of-the-soil plank.
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