Shiv Sena gives ally BJP a cold shoulder

The setback faced by the BJP in the three Hindi heartland states may lead to tremors in Maharashtra. Its ally Shiv Sena is girding its loins to take on the party and may finally decide to contest the Lok Sabha polls on its own strength. Sena sources said that they were being wooed by the BJP to shore up its numbers in the LS elections.

The Sena had joined hands with the BJP in 1989. It has revived the demand for the Ram temple at Ayodhya. This could be used as an excuse to ally with the BJP in case the Centre brings an ordinance or bill on the issue. Despite the Sena's constant potshots at PM Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, this may have given it an escape route—about the saffron alliance being essential on the basis of Hindutva.

"The election results show the popular mandate. Though we cannot claim that the same trends will repeat in Maharashtra, the state has always voted in sync with the national mood," said a senior Shiv Sena leader.

The Sena leader claimed that "sub-terrain movements in the party were underway" to ensure the Sena quits the Fadnavis government on the eve of the LS polls next year.

"The BJP needs us for the Lok Sabha elections and may drive a hard bargain for the state assembly polls. Our stakes lie in Maharashtra and not in Delhi. Hence, it makes sense for us to contest the LS polls alone and bargain for more seats in the assembly," said another Sena leader.

The BJP had snapped its alliance with the Sena and in an alliance with smaller parties, won 123 of the 288 seats in the state assembly. The Sena, with a bench strength of 63, was the main opposition party but chose to join hands with the BJP. The Sena's opponents have derided it for running with the hare yet hunting with the hounds.

The Sena admits that resigning from the government, where it has 12 ministers, of which five hold cabinet ranks, may lead to some MLAs choosing to desert its ranks. At least one—Prataprao Patil Chikhalikar from Loha in Nanded has openly thrown his lot with the BJP. Sena MLA from Kannad in Aurangabad, Harshavardhan Jadhav, has indicated that he may form his own party.

"The Sena has already announced its intention to contest alone. It has no co-relation with these Assembly results. Party president Uddhav Thackeray will take a decision to quit the government at an opportune time," said a Sena leader.