Will BJP And Shiv Sena Come Together Again?
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2021-06-21 12:41:16
About the Author
When Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray had gone to Delhi to meet Prime Minister Modi to put pressure on him to change the constitutional provisions in the light of the Supreme Court judgment disallowing the Maratha quota, he had held a 30-minute long private meeting with Modi. At that time, not much was read into it as Thackeray and Modi have had good relations despite the Shiv Sena breaking off its alliance with the BJP.
But now Pratap Sarnaik, Shiv Sena MLA from Thane, has written a letter to Uddhav Thackeray where he suggests that the party should mend its fences with the BJP and Prime Minister Modi at the earliest. The letter is mainly guided by personal motives, as Sarnaik is concerned that Shiv Sena leaders (and he is one of them) are being persecuted by central agencies due to the breakup of the alliance. But political circles in Maharashtra, already whispering about the future of the MVA since the Congress has decided to fight future elections alone, took the letter as one more signal of some leaders in the Sena rooting for a rapprochement with the BJP.
Sarnaik wrote that "Central agencies are targeting us for no fault of our, if you come close to PM Modi, sufferings of leaders like Ravindra Waikar, Anil Parab, Pratap Sarnaik and their families will end." He also said that such a move will be "beneficial to the party and workers". But despite his reasoning being personal, there is a thinking within a section of the Shiv Sena that the MVA alliance will not last long due to the Congress decision and the unpredictability of Sharad Pawar.
Earlier this year, the outspoken Sanjay Raut had said that Narendra Modi was the top leader of the country. Then, last month, Uddhav Thackeray had clearly said that he would remain chief minister for the full term and will not share the post with the NCP. (The NCP had won 54 to 56 seats won by the Shiv Sena). All these developments suggest that the BJP and the Shiv Sena are likely to revive their alliance in the long run.
