Maharashtra assembly poll 2014: Race for Maharashtra CM, BJP silent on Sena chief’s comment

Maharashtra assembly poll 2014: Race for Maharashtra CM, BJP silent on Sena chief’s comment

MUMBAI: The state BJP has greeted Uddhav Thackeray's statement that he was willing to lead Maharashtra after the assembly polls with stoic silence. "Uddhav Thackeray is free to say what he wants to say.

There is no need to respond to his statement," said a key city BJP functionary on Tuesday. "We don't wish to read too much into his soundbites," he added.

Speaking at a function in the city on Monday, Thackeray exuded confidence that the saffron combine would replace the Congress-NCP regime in the state after the October polls. "We will form the government in Maharashtra and I am ready for the fight," said the Shiv Sena president, dropping a broad hint that he was in the race for the CM's post.

As of now, the BJP is in no mood to pick a quarrel with its long-time poll ally, given the delicate political situation following Gopinath Munde's death and the impending assembly elections. Said a senior state BJP functionary, "It wouldn't look decent on our part to enter into a verbal dual with Uddhav Thackeray on the CM issue.

We are still coping with the loss following Munde-ji's untimely death. Secondly, fuelling row over who would be the next CM would do no good to both allies in the run-up to the assembly elections. The grass root workers will get confused," he said. Meanwhile, Pankaja Munde, in a message on Tuesday, deplored attempts to "capitalize" on the growing demand for a CBI probe into her father, the late Gopinath Munde's death.

source:timesofindia

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