BJP does a U-turn on open spaces

Once again, Shiv Sena was ditched by saffron ally BJP. It was the BJP’s decision to do a  volte face from its pro-caretaker stand that enabled the state government to disapprove the amendment.

BJP national general secretary Gopinath Munde met the CM in Nagpur on Thursday afternoon, informing him of the party’s decision to support to the originally passed policy in October last year. 

The BJP U-turn was a smack on the face of its leader in BMC, Bhalchandra Shirsat, who aggressively promoted the caretaker policy. 

Many senior BJP leaders felt that the pro-caretaker stand would alienate the party from its vote base, the businessmen and the upper middle class, who had been opposing the move.

The uneasiness of BJP corporators and leaders was communicated to Munde, and he stepped in. The Sena leaders were displeased, but they tried to put up a brave face.

With Sena isolated in its support of the caretaker policy, the proposed amendment would not be cleared at the general body meeting.  Vinod Ghosalkar, deputy leader of Shiv Sena, who owns a club on caretaker basis in Dahisar, threatened to go to court.

He said, “The CM has taken a wrong decision. The clubs provide locals with high-class sports facilities. I see no harm if a sports complex hosts a banquet.” Munde said, “The Sena-BJP alliance in BMC approved the policy in the improvements committee hoping it would prevent encroachments of open space.

However, after meeting sportsmen, environmentalists, social groups and experts, we have understood that encroachments could be stopped even by allotting grounds on adoption basis, as per the previous policy.”

Congress proclaimed the decision as its victory.

Party leader Amin Patel said, “We are the trustees of the people. We must preserve their property.”