Despite being bruised by Shiv Sena, BJP won’t break up with ally

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to continue its alliance with the Shiv Sena in the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation despite the fact that their officials’ homes were attacked by a few members of the ally.

The decision was taken after district Sena chief Ambadas Danve apologised for an attack on senior BJP leader Haribhau Bagde’s home. The BJP, in turn, has suspended standing committee chairman Raju Shinde for indiscipline. Shinde had become a reason for unrest in the alliance.

The BJP had given responsibility to its state president Sudhir Mungantiwar to take a decision on the alliance. While the local workers were in favour of parting ways with the Shiv Sena, senior leaders in the party, including Gopinath Munde, were reluctant to break the alliance.

But even after offering an apology, the Shiv Sena is intent on defying the BJP. It became clear when the party reappointed Danve at the post of district chief. After the attack on Bagde’s home, the BJP has asked the ally to remove Danve from the post.

The BJP will also have to face problems within the party. Shinde has refused to step down from the post even after he was suspended. State BJP president Sudhir Mungantiwar has warned that Shinde would be expelled if he did not resign and make way for a Sena candidate. “I contested the election as a BJP candidate and I would continue to work as a BJP worker,” Shinde said.

Shinde won the election by defeating a Sena candidate with support from the Congress. After that, the Sena workers attacked the BJP officials’ homes and later ransacked the public gallery at the civic body after Shinde defied the BJP’s order to step down.