Shiv Sena can’t trust BJP: Uddhav Thackeray

Training his guns at the BJP, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray — according to a party insider — termed his ally ‘treacherous’ in a meeting at Sena Bhavan on Sunday. He has also instructed party candidates who had faced defeat in the Assembly polls to consider running for the 2019 elections. Mr Thackeray and senior party leader and minister for environment Ramdas Kadam told party workers in a meeting the Sena could not trust the BJP.

Mr Thackeray called a meeting of Sena candidates who were defeated in 2014 Assembly polls, and out of 215 such candidates, around 120 were present. Santosh Sambare from Marathwada, Ashish Jaiswal from Vidarbha and Bangude Patil from Western Maharashtra were some of those who spoke at the meeting.

According to the insider, Mr Kadam said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was politically untouchable, even within his own party, the late Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray was the only leader who supported him. “The same Modi is trying to finish the Shiv Sena,” alleged Mr Kadam.

While addressing the gathering, Mr Thackeray also criticised his ally over its politics. The insider said that Mr Thackeray termed the BJP ‘treacherous’. Mr Thackeray is also alleged to have said, “We had helped them in the Parliamentary election in May 2014. They broke our trust by breaking a years-old alliance at the time of the Assembly poll.”

“We never thought the BJP would break the alliance, but they did it and, despite contesting election independently, we managed to win 63 seats. It was the victory of our commitment towards the state’s development,” said Mr Thackeray.

According to the insider, Mr Thackeray also said, “The BJP is not committed towards society. Its focus is to earn money. Let it do this; we will focus on doing good work only.”

The Sena leader said that Mr Thackeray asked the party workers to start working as party candidates for the 2019 Assembly polls and told them to support new hard-working Shiv Sainiks, should any emerge, from their constituencies.

This is a clear indication that the Shiv Sena will contest the coming elections the including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) scheduled in next year independently, claimed the Sena leader on the condition of anonymity.

Mr Kadam said that the Sena was with the BJP at the Centre and in the state, but this did not meant that the relationship would continue in the 2019 Assembly polls or the BMC election. “A decision on the alliance will be taken at the appropriate time,” he said.