MUMBAI:
The BJP is likely to seek the Shiv Sena's support to form the
government in Maharashtra, sources said on Thursday, but the Sena is
reportedly in two minds on the issue.
The exit polls haven't brought much cheer to the BJP camp. "We will be
the single largest party in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, but
there may be a hung assembly in the state. This isn't a good situation
for the party," said a senior BJP leader from New Delhi. He was camping
in Mumbai for two weeks to monitor the party's poll campaign in the
state. BJP leaders have started the post-poll arithmetic for a hung
assembly. "If any eventuality arises, we will seek the Sena's support,"
he said.
However, Matoshree isn't quite sure if joining the BJP government would
do the party any good in Maharashtra, a key Sena functionary said.
Matoshree's principal worry is that by teaming up with the BJP, the Sena
may lose its regional force status to the MNS. "If we join the BJP
government we stand to gain to a certain extent as we will share power
with the BJP after a gap of 15 years," a Sena functionary said. "But we
are not sure how the BJP will treat us in the new alliance. They might
give us relatively light portfolios. That will be adding insult to the
injury," he added.
Central Industrial Security Force and Maharashtra State Police man a counting center in Nagpur (TOI Photo)
Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is reportedly not keen to back the BJP
in a hung assembly. "He thinks that if we join the BJP government, the
Sena will be accused by the Congress, NCP, MNS and the media of being
power hungry. The Sena, he thinks, will lose its moral sheen," the Sena
functionary said. "Yet another deterrent (in being part of the BJP
regime) is Thackeray's acerbic onslaught on Prime Minister Narendra Modi
and BJP national president Amit Shah during the poll campaign," he
pointed out. "Even Sainiks will be confused if, after all that happened
between the two parties in the last two months, Uddhav-ji decides to
lend support to the BJP government," he explained.
However,
several Sena leaders are of the view that the party should forget the
past and join a BJP government if the need arises. "The Sena shouldn't
wallow in the past. It should look ahead and plan for the future," said a
party MP.
Stating that politics has its own twists and turns, a
Sena 'vibhag-pramukh' said, "If we are on board the BJP regime, we will
be able to get more financial aid for long-pending infrastructure
projects in the state. The Centre can be persuaded to give Maharashtra a
financial package," he added.
Shiv
Sena president Uddhav Thackeray along with wife Rashmi and son Aditya
display their inked fingers after casting votes for the assembly
elections in Mumbai. (PTI Photo)
Meanwhile, senior BJP
leader Eknath Khadse has said the BJP may lose seven to eight assembly
seats where the party fielded former Congress-NCP leaders. "Congress-NCP
leaders who joined the BJP were expected to do well in
the polls.
However, we have learnt that the anti-incumbency factor has stuck to
these leaders even after they joined the BJP. We may lose seven to eight
such seats," he said.
Khadse and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde
were addressing the media at the party's Backbay Reclamation
headquarters on Thursday. Tawde ruled out a post-poll partnership with
the NCP. "The BJP will win an absolute majority. We will not need any
outside support, much less from the NCP," Tawde said in reply to a
question. On Mumbai, Tawde said he wasn't sure if Mumbaikars voted on
ethno-linguistic lines or on the development issue. "Mumbai's polling
has left us a tad confused," he remarked.
