BJP & Sena play games

In the cat and mouse game between the ruling BJP and its Shiv Sena ally, the BJP has the upper hand and is holding out the spectre of a midterm poll in Maharashtra to keep the Sena on a leash. BJP president Amit Shah has stressed there will be no mid-term polls, but also claimed if there was one the BJP would win a majority on its own. But the socalled tussles between the two allies may be more political posturing as Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and Sena boss Uddhav Thackeray appear on the best of terms. Mr Thackeray went out of his way to woo Mr Shah during his weekend Mumbai visit as he would like to avoid an election now, So why the posturing? Political observers say it’s meant to keep the rank and file on their toes. They must be in readiness for Assembly elections, and the BJP and Sena are the two main contenders who decided to fight the polls on their own.

Interestingly, the BJP earlier allied with the Sena and used this to establish a foothold in Mumbai. Now it can do without the Sena, which has also weakened. The Congress and NCP are third and fourth. The BJP made major inroads into the state, particularly in Mumbai, that was once the Sena’s bastion, and the city that gave birth to legendry Sena founder Bal Thackeray. Today the BJP has the upper hand in Mumbai and, is almost neck and neck with the Sena in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which is said to be the country’s richest municipality.