Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have finalised a draft Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and are headed towards forming a coalition government in Maharashtra.
Amid talks between Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena over power-sharing in Maharashtra, a descendant of VD Savarkar on Friday said the party headed by Uddhav Thackeray will be able to change the grand old party's stance on Hindutva.
His comments came as Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have finalised a draft Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and are headed towards forming a coalition government in Maharashtra.
Ranjeet, Savarkar's grandson, said he was confident that Uddhav Thackeray will never leave his Hindutva ideology.
"As far as I know Uddhav ji, he won't ever leave his Hindutva ideology and back off from demand of Bharat Ratna to Veer Savarkar for power. I'm confident, Shiv Sena will change Congress' stance on Hindutva," he said.
Earlier on Thursday, sources had told Zee Media that Sonia Gandhi-led Congress has demanded that Shiv Sena leaves its Hindutva agenda and commit on secularism.
As for Bharat Ratna to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar is concerned, the Congress had strongly opposed BJP's election proposal.
Thackeray had also sought the country’s highest civilian award for Savarkar during the launch of a biography of the Hindu Mahasabha leader.
“Savarkar must be awarded the Bharat Ratna. We don’t deny the work done by (Mahatma) Gandhi and (Prime Minister Jawaharlal) Nehru, but the country saw more than two families being born on the political scene,” Thackeray had said at the event in Mumbai on September 18.
He had also taken a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, calling him "ignorant."
Meanwhile, the three parties in Maharashtra are one step closer to a coalition government with a draft of CMP, with a meeting of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) counterpart Sharad Pawar scheduled for Sunday.
The party chiefs - Sonia Gandhi, Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar of Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP, respectively - are to take the final call on the draft agreement.
Shiv Sena and BJP contested the recently-held assembly elections together but failed to reach an agreement for government formation. The Shiv Sena's demand of 50-50 government formula, asking for the chief minister's post for two and half years was not accepted by the BJP.
After BJP failed to stake claim to form the government, the Shiv Sena has tried to enlist the support of NCP and Congress for an alliance government.
Since Shiv Sena has 56 seats in the Maharashtra Assembly, way below the half-way mark of 144, it will need both the NCP's 54 and Congress' 44 legislators to reach the magic number.
President's Rule was imposed in the state on Thursday after Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari's report to Centre that no stable government was possible in Maharashtra under the current political scenario.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "File Photo:")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}