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Maharashtra Election 2014: Shiv Sena may not back BJP in case of a hung assembly in Maharashtra

MUMBAI: The BJP is likely to seek the Shiv Sena's support to form the government in Maharashtra, sources said on Thursday, but the Sena is reportedly in two minds on the issue.
The exit polls haven't brought much cheer to the BJP camp. "We will be the single largest party in the Maharashtra legislative assembly, but there may be a hung assembly in the state.

This isn't a good situation for the party," said a senior BJP leader from New Delhi. He was camping in Mumbai for two weeks to monitor the party's poll campaign in the state. BJP leaders have started the post-poll arithmetic for a hung assembly. "If any eventuality arises, we will seek the Sena's support," he said.


However, Matoshree isn't quite sure if joining the BJP government would do the party any good in Maharashtra, a key Sena functionary said. Matoshree's principal worry is that by teaming up with the BJP, the Sena may lose its regional force status to the MNS. "If we join the BJP government we stand to gain to a certain extent as we will share power with the BJP after a gap of 15 years," a Sena functionary said. "But we are not sure how the BJP will treat us in the new alliance. They might give us relatively light portfolios. That will be adding insult to the injury," he added.

Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is reportedly not keen to back the BJP in a hung assembly. "He thinks that if we join the BJP government, the Sena will be accused by the Congress, NCP, MNS and the media of being power hungry. The Sena, he thinks, will lose its moral sheen," the Sena functionary said. "Yet another deterrent (in being part of the BJP regime) is Thackeray's acerbic onslaught on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah during the poll campaign," he pointed out. "Even Sainiks will be confused if, after all that happened between the two parties in the last two months, Uddhav-ji decides to lend support to the BJP government," he explained. 

However, several Sena leaders are of the view that the party should forget the past and join a BJP government if the need arises. "The Sena shouldn't wallow in the past. It should look ahead and plan for the future," said a party MP. 

Stating that politics has its own twists and turns, a Sena 'vibhag-pramukh' said, "If we are on board the BJP regime, we will be able to get more financial aid for long-pending infrastructure projects in the state. The Centre can be persuaded to give Maharashtra a financial package," he added.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Eknath Khadse has said the BJP may lose seven to eight assembly seats where the party fielded former Congress-NCP leaders. "Congress-NCP leaders who joined the BJP were expected to do well in the polls. However, we have learnt that the anti-incumbency factor has stuck to these leaders even after they joined the BJP. We may lose seven to eight such seats," he said. 

Khadse and senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde were addressing the media at the party's Backbay Reclamation headquarters on Thursday. Tawde ruled out a post-poll partnership with the NCP. "The BJP will win an absolute majority. We will not need any outside support, much less from the NCP," Tawde said in reply to a question. On Mumbai, Tawde said he wasn't sure if Mumbaikars voted on ethno-linguistic lines or on the development issue. "Mumbai's polling has left us a tad confused," he remarked.

src:timesofindia

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