Uddhav Thackeray: Leave alliance issue to me

Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has asked party MPs to focus on their constituencies and strongly take up farmers’ problems while leaving the issue of alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to him. A close aide of Sena chief, Harshal Pradhan, on Tuesday, quoting Mr Thackeray said that the party's commitment is to the people of the state.

The Sena chief on Monday met Sena MPs and MLAs at his residence Matoshree.

Quoting the party president, Mr Pradhan said that the Sena would fight this election with all its strength, all the sitting MPs should focus on issues related to their constituencies and if they don't feel confident of winning again, they should make way for others.

He further quoted Mr Thackeray as saying that the issue of yuti (alliance) with the BJP should be left to him. According to Mr Pradhan, Mr Thackeray had directed the MPs to review crop insurance payments and waiver of loans to farmers. He also claimed that the Sena president had not received any communication from the BJP about discussions on alliance prospects so far. Mr Pradhan also said that BJP president Amit Shah visited Matoshree to meet Uddhavji last year and had decided to keep in touch with him. However, after that, there had been no communication from the BJP. In 2018, the Sena had announced it would go solo in future elections.

Party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday said that the Sena would always be the “big brother” in an alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra.

Allies for almost two decades, the BJP and Sena used to have an understanding under which the former would contest a larger share of Lok Sabha seats.