Amit Shah’s ultimatum to Sena for 2019 tieup
BJP president Amit Shah is believed to have issued an ultimatum to Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray regarding the alliance for 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Mr Shah reached Matoshree, the residence of Mr Thackeray, at around 7.30 pm on Wednesday, and after a formal chat, the two leaders had a closed- door meeting.
In the two- hour long meeting, Mr Shah is understood to have listened to the various issues raised by the Shiv Sena chief, including grievances against the decision- making style of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and the BJP president as well.
Mr Thackeray is believed to have spoken about the BJP leader reaching out after four years and about the Sena’s decision of going solo in upcoming elections.
Sources said that while Mr Shah tried to resolve all the issues raised, he remained firm about the alliance for 2019 elections.
Though Shiv Sena is an old ally, it has often been critical of the BJP, especially the PM, and has even threatened to go alone in the 2019 elections.
A senior BJP leader told this newspaper, “The meeting was very positive and tension in the relations have reduced.”
Shiv Sena sources, however, remained tightlipped. “Nothing has been
decided in the meeting with Mr Shah. Shiv Sena may not change its decision of fighting solo in the upcoming elections, though Shah has given the proposal of alliance. Thackeray will declare the decision soon,” a source said.
Hours before the meeting, an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Saamna, had questioned the BJP’s outreach programme after suffering defeat in bypolls in various states.
“The Prime Minister is touring the world and BJP chief Amit Shah is going around the country as part of their ‘ sampark’ programme. Shah will be meeting NDA allies. However, what exactly will he do? Why is he meeting at this juncture when the BJP has suffered defeat in bypolls,” the Sena asked in an editorial.
The editorial maintained that Sena will fight all the upcoming elections alone.
The two allies contested the May 28 bypolls to Palghar Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra separately and were engaged in a bitter campaign against each other.
After facing defeat in Palghar at the hands of the BJP, Shiv Sena labelled the party as its “biggest political enemy”.
The two parties were allies for over two- and- a- half decades before they severed ties ahead of the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly polls, only to join hands later later to form government under the leadership of Mr Fadnavis.
The Congress and other Opposition parties are coming together against the BJPled NDA and the BJP is trying to keep its allies together.
Mr Thackeray and MP Sanjay Raut have often criticised Union and state government’s policies and the BJP’s leadership over the treatment meted out to the Sena and other NDA allies.
Shiv Sena has been against Nanar green refinery and bullet train projects. It had raised various public interests issues, which were totally ignored by the Union and state governments because of which public opinion is going against the government, Mr Thackeray told Mr Shah who tried to convince him on various issues.