Shiv Sena unwilling to play second fiddle to BJP in state

To stick to its claim for post of Maharashtra chief minister

Even as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is savouring its win in the recently-concluded Lok Sabha polls, differences have already begun to emerge between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its major ally in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena.

Barely hours after Narendra Modi staked his claim to form a BJP-led NDA government at the Centre on Tuesday, the Shiv Sena said its “big brother” role in Maharashtra was “quite intact” and it would not play “second fiddle” to the BJP in the state.

The Shiv Sena also indicated that it would be the obvious claimant for the post of Maharashtra chief minister, after Assembly polls are held in the state in September-October. This is despite the BJP winning 23 seats, five more than the Shiv Sena, in the Lok Sabha elections.

Shiv Sena executive president Udhav Thackeray said his party has religiously practiced coalition dharma and there was no question of it leaving its claim on the chief minister’s post. He brought to the BJP’s notice that the Shiv Sena had won 11 seats while it (the BJP) had won nine seats in the 2009 general elections.

Thackeray’s clarification comes close on the heels of utterances by a few state BJP leaders that it was time for the BJP to pursue its shat pratishat (100 per cent) aim and thereby assume the coveted post of the chief minister after the forthcoming Assembly elections.  

Further, Thackeray made it amply clear that despite the Shiv Sena being the BJP’s key ally both at the Centre and in Maharashtra, the party would not compromise on a range of issues, including statehood for Vidarbha, the development of the 9,900-Mw Jaitapur nuclear power project and the seat-sharing formula for the Assembly elections.

Shiv Sena group leader in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Subhash Desai told Business Standard: “There is no question of the party changing its stand on a number of issues in the wake of the NDA assuming power. Uddhavji has made that clear.”

Thackeray said his party would continue to oppose a separate Vidarbha state and recalled that during the Shiv Sena-BJP government of 1995-99, the government was able to focus on expediting the development in Vidarbha and that it could be done without separating it from the rest of Maharashtra. He reiterated that Shiv Sena was strongly in favour of a united Maharashtra.

The Sena’s stance on Vidarbha is opposite to that of the BJP, which strongly supports the formation of smaller states.

On Jaitapur, Thackeray said though the project might be safe and secure, his party was opposed to its development in Maharashtra as it could endanger the environment and the lives of locals. The BJP is for the Jaitapur project.

On seat-sharing, Thackeray reminded the BJP that it would not be in a position to dictate its terms during seat-sharing for the Assembly elections. He said the 169:119 formula sealed between the Shiv Sena and the BJP during the 2009 polls would continue and any alterations would be possible only after his talks with BJP president Rajnath Singh. Both parties have been alliance partners in Maharashtra since 25 years.