Mumbai: Senior BJP leader and revenue minister Chandrakant Patil said that Congress would return to power if his party and Shiv Sena do not contest elections in an alliance. He said this during a press meet in Kolhapur on Saturday. Mr Patil also cleared that BJP is ready to go to elections on its own but wished to get Sena on board. His statement has come after relations between Sena and BJP have touched a new low in the state.
“BJP and Sena alliance has not still broke. I hope it wont in future. But I feel that if we part ways and contest on our own, Congress will return to power in the state. And we know how bad government Congress had given to the state. I fear more for that,” said Mr Patil. Senior leader even went to the extent of saying that an alliance with BJP is our helplessness in Maharashtra.
This is not the first time that BJP has taken this stand about an alliance with Sena. Even before Mr Patil, state’s finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had taken similar stand. In its foundation day rally in Mumbai, BJP’s national president Amit Shah had expressed wish to contest upcoming general and assembly elections in an alliance with Sena. Mr Patil is known for his closeness with Mr Shah as well as Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
But Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has taken strong stand against forming an alliance with BJP for elections. Even denying BJP’s public request of not contesting Palghar, Mr Thackeray gave a candidate in byelection. He has strongly criticised BJP during its campaign and released an alleged audio clip of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis asking his workers to win the election with all possible means.
