BJP won’t criticise Shiv Sena even after split

Mumbai: Declaring that the 25-year-old alliance is over, Maharashtra BJP leader Eknath Khadse said at the party office, “There was no time to continue discussions on seat-sharing and thus, with a heavy heart, we decided to scrap our alliance with the Shiv Sena.”

The decision was taken after the party’s core committee met at Mr Khadse’s residence.

Effectively, the new “Mahayuti” led by the BJP will have the RSP, Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana, the Republican Party of India and Vinayak Mete’s Shiv Sangram, a senior BJP leader said.

“We tried our level best to maintain our alliance with the Sena ,but there was no flexibility from their side,” said Mr Khadse.

He said during the entire deliberations held between them, the Sena remained resolute on 151 seats along with staking claim to the chief ministership in the event of victory in the Assembly polls.

For the past 20-22 days, the Sena, BJP and their allies had held a number of discussions to arrive at a seat-sharing formula acceptable to all parties. “In all the formulae offered by the Sena, the number of seats had remained unchanged. The only change they offered was either a reduction in the BJP’s seats or the seats of the remaining allies,” said Mr Fadnavis.

The BJP has decided not to criticise the Sena during the election campaign as its  target will be the Congress-NCP Democratic Front government.

“We have been friends for more than two decades and will continue to treat each other as friends. We don’t want to spoil relations though we have parted ways,” Mr Fadnavis clarified.

Mr Fadnavis was quick to point out that the BJP alliance with the Sena in the Mumbai and Thane municipal bodies would remain intact.

Speaking about the alliance with the BJP, Mr Jankar said he had joined the “Mahayuti” by holding the late Gopinath Munde’s hand, and would not leave the party in his absence.