BJP eyes poll position without allies in Maha

MUMBAI: Two days after the Shiv Sena’s flip-flop over supporting the no-confidence trust motion against the Nadrendra Modi-led NDA government in Parliament, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah asked the state leadership to ensure party’s top finish during the upcoming Lok Sabha and state polls, even if all three main political parties — the Congress, the NCP and the Shiv Sena — unite against it.

While opponents Congress and NCP have decided to contest the 2019 polls together against the BJP, the decision on saffron alliance is still in a limbo.

While Shah did not mention Shiv Sena during a review meeting in Dadar, the takeaway for the workers was to prepare for the polls solo without waiting for a decision on the saffron alliance, said a senior party leader, who attended the meetings.

“Shah’s focus was on getting the party organisation in electoral mode. While he did not mention the Sena, he said that the BJP should poll more than 50% of the vote share so that even if other parties contested against it, we will win the seats,’’ said a senior party leader. Shah held organisational meetings for election preparedness on Sunday. He held a meeting with the Lok Sabha ‘toli’ (gang), comprising senior state leaders, who are part of the state’s extended core committee.

The toil includes chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, union minister Nitin Gadkari, state party president Raosaheb Danve, finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, revenue minister Chandrakant Patil, education minister Vinod Tawde, city chief Ashish Shelar, women and child development minister Pankaja Munde among others.

He also addressed a meeting of state’s 288 party workers, appointed as vistaraks, for each assembly constituency.

He also chaired a similar review meeting with Goa’s Lok Sabha ‘toli’.

“The party president’s message was that our electoral preparations are not dependent on the alliance.

Our senior leadership feels that if they (Sena) join us, good; if not, we still have to win. In the 2014 polls, when the alliance broke last minute ahead of the Assembly polls, we did well because we had activated our booth level workers,’’ added the senior leader. Shah stressed on connecting with people at the grass roots level.