Shiv Sena-BJP to have co-ordination committee; no alliance with MNS

Senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday met Shiv Sena executive president Udhdav Thackeray to iron out differences in the saffron alliance ahead of the crucial local bodies elections, including the Mumbai municipal corporation early next year.

Apart from Thackeray, senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi was also present at the meeting, that took place at Joshi's central Mumbai office.

Naidu told reporters that a co-ordination committee comprising four leaders each from Shiv Sena and BJP will be set up soon to ensure smooth co-ordination between the two allies.

"Sub-committees will be set up till the taluka level which will function under the state level committee. The local committees will include local leaders from both sides to iron out differences between the two," he said.

Naidu ruled out inclusion of MNS into the saffron fold saying that Shiv Sena alone would be BJP's ally in the state.

The meeting comes in the wake of tension in the saffron camp over growing proximity of BJP leaders with MNS and Gopinath Munde's demand for inclusion of MNS in the alliance, besides defeat of BJP leader Eknath Khadse's son in the legislative council polls from the Jalgaon local bodies constituency. Khadse had blamed Sena leader Suresh Jain for the defeat.

BJP was represented by Khadse, Munde, Sudhir Mungantiwar, Vinod Tawde and Jalgaon MLA Girish Mahajan, while Sena was represented by senior leaders Subhash Desai and Suresh Jain apart from Joshi and Thackeray.