If Sena proposes, BJP open to forming govt: Sudhir Mungantiwar

Mumbai: In an indication that the BJP hasn’t given up hope of government formation with its former ally, the Shiv Sena, yet, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said that the saffron party is open to forming the government if the Uddhav Thackeray-led party so proposes.

Terming the Sena as the BJP’s “natural ally”, Mr Mungantiwar said that if the Sena realises its “mistake” of walking out of the saffron alliance, the BJP is ready for a patch up. “If tomorrow the Sena says it was a mistake to part ways and proposes to form the government, the BJP will have no objection to the Sena’s proposal," he said.

“The BJP has no problem in forming the government with any party that adopts the line of thinking of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protect this country. If the Sena comes with a proposal… chalo der aaye, durust aaye (better late than never)… subah ka bhoola sham ko laut aayaa (one who realises his mistake)… Then the BJP will have no objection to the Sena’s proposal,” he said in Nanded.

The former state BJP president also took a dig at the Sena leadership for joining hands with the Congress. “The Congress’s support to the Sena for government formation is a wonder of the 21st century. With it, Mumbai's once strong Matoshree (the Thackeray home in Bandra) has now weakened, but the Delhi-based Matoshree (reference to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi) has become stronger,” he said.

"Both the parties – the Sena and the Congress – have different principles and stands on issues. They do not match at all. Congress leader Ashok Chavan admitted that both parties came together on the demand of Muslims to keep the BJP away from power,” said Mr Mungantiwar.