Friends don’t grow on trees, Uddhav Thackeray tells BJP
24 Jun 2013 11:40 PM GMT
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray citicised the BJP leadership for failing to retain the JD(U) in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). With the big conglomerate of anti-Congress parties now being reduced to a three-party alliance, BJP’s oldest partner Shiv Sena on Monday questioned the wisdom of the move. In its editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamna, Sena asked the BJP to explain its plans to bring in new allies.
‘Friends don’t grow on trees, they have to be nurtured. How does one get friends if one chops off the branches of the tree which till now provided fruits, flowers and shade,’ said Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, while hitting out at the BJP over JD(U)’s exit from the fold. Thackeray in his editorial also referred to the call given by senior BJP leader LK Advani to get new allies. ‘BJP leader LK Advani has asked if the BJP has the ability to defeat the Congress on its own. So the advise that BJP should have is – new friends are important,’ wrote Thackeray.
The Sena chief said that now only the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal are left and the Akali Dal’s strength has never gone above four or five MPs. ‘Once, there were 25 to 30 parties in NDA. Now, hardly three remain. Earlier, even the hall in Advani’s home was not enough to hold meetings. Now, a table and four chairs are enough,’ wrote Thackrey in the editorial.
‘The post of NDA convenor is vacant. But what work is left for the convenor, other than calling two parties for tea?’ wrote Uddhav.
The Shiv Sena chief was of the opinion that the names of BJP’s new friends at the national level should be announced if the NDA were to get a majority in the Lok Sabha polls.
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