Shah says will defeat ex-allies, Sena fumes

MUMBAI: Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah said on Sunday his party would ensure the victory of its allies if they joined hands with the BJP, but it will defeat allies who decide to part ways ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

Shah’s remark came after Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis set the BJP workers a target of winning 40 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Reacting to the statements, the Shiv Sena said it was ready to take on whoever challenged it.

A Shiv Sena leader said the party was preparing a Plan B – going it alone in all 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra – after the BJP leaders’ remarks. The party has asked district leaders across the state to prepare grassroots workers and tap candidates for all those constituencies that the party did not fight in the 2014 general elections, according to a leader who did not wish to be named.

While addressing booth level workers in Latur, Shah said: “If our friends came along, we will help them to win seats, but in case they decline to join hands, you should be prepared to fight solo.”

Shiv Sena reacted strongly to Shah’s and Fadnavis’s statements. “The arrogant and manic statement by the BJP president Amit Shah has exposed him and his party. By boasting about winning 40 Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra, the BJP has announced its alliance with the EVMS (Electronic Voting Machines). The Shiv Sena is ready to take anybody head-on if attacked. Maharashtra will see to it that the BJP will be routed,” a spokesperson said.

“The people of Maharashtra are interested in seeing the results of the promises made in 2014,” said Anil Desai, Shiv Sena secretary and Rajya Sabha parliamentarian.

“We are in the fifth year of governance, and the people of Maharashtra have high expectations. The Sena has been focusing on issues related to the people – from the agrarian crisis to issues of unemployment. One should not brag about winning, because it is in the hands of the voters, and our voters are the farmers, students, and housewives of Maharashtra.”