Uddhav Thackeray refuses to meet BJP minister

Mumbai: In a major setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) efforts to woo its estranged alliance partner, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday refused to meet BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar.

Mr Mungantiwar, the state finance minister, was supposed to visit Matoshree to discuss an alliance proposal with Mr Thackeray in view of the Sena’s stance on going solo in the 2019 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. But Mr Thackeray, in the backdrop of the recent murder of two Shiv Sainiks in Ahmednagar on April 7, refused to meet the BJP leader, according to sources.

Meanwhile, in view of the Sena’s attitude, the BJP too has upped its ante. Mr Mungantiwar said that an alliance is not exactly a ‘do-or-die’ issue for the BJP and it is ready to contest the polls on its own.

Mr Mungantiwar has been the BJP point person for dealing with Mr Thackeray. The BJP has said in public that it wants to seal an alliance with Sena in the coming elections. BJP’s president Amit Shah had also expressed a desire to form ties with the Sena.

Monday marked the tenth day since the murder of the Sainiks and the Sena has been alleging that the BJP, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress’ workers are responsible.