The BJP is frustrated at its old ally Shiv Sena’s u-turn on the nuclear deal. It is trying to figure out the latest twist in its old ally’s position on the subject.
NEW DELHI: The BJP is frustrated at its old ally Shiv Sena’s u-turn on the nuclear deal. It is trying to figure out the latest twist in its old ally’s position on the subject, which had earlier been opposing the deal and had even spoken out against it in parliament as decided by the opposition coalition NDA but now it is praising prime minister Manmohan Singh and supporting the deal.
The change in Sena’s stance as published in its mouthpiece Samna coincided with a perceived thaw between the government and the Left on the nuclear issue. Sena has 12 members in the Lok Sabha. Though the Congress-led UPA and the Shiv Sena are ideologically opposed to each other, the ruling side will only be happy to see further chinks in the opposition NDA if it comes to the crunch, voting on floor of the House.
Another NDA partner Trinamool Congress is playing a hide-and-seek game with the opposition coalition, always leaving an air of uncertainty on its future course.
A senior Sena MP said, “The last time I spoke to Balasaheb Thackeray he asked me to oppose the deal and we went with the BJP. There has so far been no other directive from him. I will have a word with Balasaheb when I go to Mumbai at the weekend.”
Sena feels that since the growing strategic ties with the US have an anti-Muslim connotation in the minds of a large section of the Muslim community, the party will be better positioned politically if it supported the deal.
Sena parliamentary party leader in the Lok Sabha Ananth Geethe had spoken against the deal on floor of the house with other NDA leaders. But on Thursday when the Opposition staged a walkout, the Sena did not join them and stayed inside.
A senior BJP leader said, “The move is yet another example of the unpredictable nature of Sena working chief Uddhav Thackeray.”
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