Shiv Sena does not want to create instability in Maha: Raut

Mumbai: A day after Shiv Sena decided not to have an alliance with BJP for local body polls in Maharashtra, its MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday asserted the Uddhav Thackeray-led party does not want to create instability in the state.

Raut said his party will continue to maintain the alliance with the BJP at the state level for "some time".

"The Sena does not want to create instability in the state and will continue to maintain the alliance (with BJP) in the state government for some time," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Shiv Sena is part of the BJP-led ruling coalitions in Maharashtra as well at the Centre. The two had been ruling the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as part of an alliance for over two decades.

However, the regional party has now decided not have any truck with BJP for the next month's polls to municipal corporations and zila parishads.

The comments by Raut came hours after Sena minister Ramdas Kadam added an element of instability in the BJP-led government by saying party ministers are ready to quit. "We carry resignation letters in our pockets. We will resign whenever Uddhavji asks us to do so," he said in the morning.

Maharashtra BJP chief Raosaheb Danve had yesterday maintained the break-up of the alliance for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls will not have any impact on the Devendra Fadnavis administration.

In the 2014 Assembly polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 288-member House but fell short of simple majority mark. The Sena, which snapped its alliance with the BJP ahead of the Assembly polls, later joined the Fadnavis government.

Danve today claimed his party will emerge No. 1 in the municipal corporations and zila parishad elections in the state to be held next month.

Minister for Cooperation Chandrakant Patil of BJP hoped there will be a reconciliation and Sena-BJP alliance would be revived.

Meanwhile, BJP will be holding 'Vijay Sankalp Melava'

(Resolve for Victory Rally) tomorrow at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Goregaon, the venue where Sena President yesterday declared his party will go it alone in the local body polls.

Fadnavis will address the rally, where he is expected to announce the way ahead for BJP after Sena's decision of going solo in the polls.

In a related development, BJP launched its campaign on social media with a tag line 'Vees Varshateel Senechya Pragatichi Vatchal... Hyala Jababdar Kon?' (Sena's path to progress in last 20 years... Who is responsible for this?) The Sena had launched its social media campaign with a tagline 'Je Bolto Te Karu Dakhavto' (What I say, I do it).

BJP MP Kirit Somaiya said his party will come out with a 'Kaali Patrika' (Black Paper) next week on "scams" in the BMC.