Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Thursday lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s smaller allies, which have been demanding that the latter be invited to form the government.
The party said that the allies were not concerned about the state but their own position in the new government.
“The allies do not have even a single elected MLA and their concern is only about their position in the new government. If tomorrow a new government comes to power, they will join it without even thinking about the past,” the Sena said in a hard-hitting editorial in the party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.
Union minister and RPI (A) chief Ramdas Athawale and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) leader and minister in the state government Mahadev Jankar, had met governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari a couple of days ago and urged him to invite the BJP, which is the single largest party, to form the government.
The BJP-led Mahayuti (grand alliance) in the state comprises the Sena and smaller parties like the RPI (A), RSP, Shiv Sangram and Rayat Kranti Sanghatana.
The Sena editorial read, “Several ‘outgoing’ ministers are also concerned about losing their government cars and bungalows. ‘Certain elements’ with no connection with the Hindutva ideology are luring newly elected MLAs with money. We don’t claim that all this is happening with the blessings of the BJP or the chief minister. But the people of the state want the next chief minister only to be from the Sena.”
The editorial added that if anyone was indulging in the politics of corruption, atrocities and horse-trading, the people would not forgive it. The Sena also slammed senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar for his comments that “good news would come soon in the state and the BJP’s doors are always open for talks”. The party asserted that the only good news the state was expecting was that the Sena’s chief minister would take oath.
“Even our doors and windows are open. Nice winds are blowing, but we are taking precautions to ensure that insects don’t come along with the fresh air," the Sena said.
