CM Fadnavis may again initiate alliance talks with Shiv Sena

Mumbai: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis may initiate alliance talks with the Shiv Sena as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has asked for the same. Anti-BJP parties have come together and victory in the state may be an uphill task for the BJP without the Sena’s support.

Mr Fadnavis met Mr Bhagwat in Nagpur on Saturday and had a discussion for nearly 50 minutes. The Sena had declared that it would go solo in the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The Sena is a Hindutvawadi party and the RSS has always shared good relations with it since the time of the late Bal Thackeray.

The Congress has already started making efforts across the country to form a grand anti-BJP alliance to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections next year. More than 18 parties have already come together under the Congress-led UPA to oppose the BJP.

The Congress and NCP have also started their seat-sharing talks. In such a scenario, the BJP is likely to suffer losses in the state if the Sena contests elections on its own.

BJP and RSS leaders fear that the BJP may not win 40 to 50 per cent seats in comparison to the 2014 elections, said sources.

Despite the Sena slamming the Mr Modi and the Mr Fadnavis-led government in the state over the last three-four years, Mr Bhagwat is of the view that both parties should form a pre-poll alliance to defeat the Congress-NCP combine.

Mr Bhagwat spoke to Mr Fadnavis about it after having discussed the issue with BJP president Amit Shah, said sources. He also met Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday in Nagpur. In these circumstances, the CM may once again initiate dialogue for an alliance.