The Bharatiya Janata Party is trying its best to woo Shiv Sena and ensure that the saffron alliance remains intact ahead of 2019 general elections. BJP national president Amit Shah is likely to go to Matoshree on Wednesday to meet Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in an effort to revive the alliance.
The ties between Shiv Sena and BJP have reached an all time low. Shiv Sena contested Palghar Lok Sabha bypolls against BJP. Though the BJP won the elections, Shiv Sena managed to gain second spot despite having never contested election in Palghar.
Shiv Sena candidate Shrinivas Wanga is the son of late BJP MP Chintaman Wanga whose death necessitated the bypoll. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was very upset with Shiv Sena move to “snatch” Wanga family away from the BJP. The bitterness between the two allies had reached its peak during the campaign.
However, with the bypoll over, Fadnavis has expressed hope that the alliance will remain intact. He is adopting a cautious stand so as not to alienate Shiv Sena any more. PWD Minister Chandrakant Patil, too, recently stated that BJP-Sena alliance must remain solid otherwise Congress would come back to power in Maharashtra.
Thackeray, on the other hand, is firm that his party will not have any sort of pre-poll alliance with any political party. He has made up his mind that all elections henceforth will have to be contested by Shiv Sena on its own.
Thackeray is not at all happy with the BJP style of governance, be it at the Center or in the state. Sena misses no opportunity to hit out at the BJP through its aggressive editorials in its mouthpiece Saamna.
Given this background, Amit Shah's proposed visit to Matoshree and his meeting with Uddhav Thackeray assumes significance. Shah has been to Matoshree earlier to seek Sena's support for Ramnath Kovind's presidential election.