Shiv Sena wants CM post for BJP’S allies
MUMBAI: In an indication that the Shiv Sena is eyeing the chief minister’s (CM) post in Maharashtra if it enters into an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Sena leader on Thursday said the BJP should offer the CM position to its alliance partners in their states.
Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said if the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) comes back to power in 2019 then Sena, Akali Dal and other allies would have a role, hinting that the BJP could fall short of the majority figure in the Lok Sabha.
“All NDA allies are strong in their states and if you want to have an alliance with them at the Centre, the CM in that state should be from that ally,” he said. The Sena has been critical of the BJP for its treatment of allies.
A senior Sena leader said the BJP national president Amit Shah and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray are in talks to forge the alliance. “Ours is a one-line proposal. You [BJP] can play a larger role in Delhi, while we will have a bigger say in the state… Getting back to power is important for them, and therefore they will come around,” a senior Sena leader said. He said that Shah is likely to visit Thackeray at his residence in the coming days.
A Sena leader, who is involved in the alliance discussion, said the party has made it clear to the BJP that it should convey its decision soon.
The Sena had planned two rallies of Thackeray in the first two weeks of February, but both were cancelled owing to a lack of clarity on the alliance.