The article appeared a day after BJP chief Amit Shah landed in Mumbai to ease out the situation over seat sharing has left the ruling party leaders in an embarrassing situation. Party insiders claimed that the article is a signal from the Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to Shah that they are not going to bow to their wish on the number of seats they want to contest in the 15 October Maharashtra assembly polls.
The article further reads, ‘In Lok Sabha polls, BJP achieved a firm command in UP but now the by-poll results have been the opposite. This is a lesson for Maharashtra polls. It is a lesson for all. Don’t take people for granted. Keep your feet on ground. Don’t get swayed by the thumping victory in Lok Sabha polls. Only those who learn this lesson will win Maharashtra. Or else the public will do the needful.’
The BJP has fared reasonably poorly (as compared to the Lok Sabha election) winning 13 out of 23 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Meanwhile, Shah held a marathon meeting with the party leaders on Wednesday over the seat-sharing issues. It is expected that the BJP president would sort out the differences. Sources said, the ruling party leaders are worried over Shiv Sena’s adamant attitude that they can go alone in the election if Shah failed to break the ice.
On Monday, Thackeray has rejected the demand of the BJP to contest 135 seats. Thackeray has also hinted to end their 25-year old alliance by saying that, ‘there is an alternative to everything’.
Differences cropped up after Shiv Sena stuck to its demand to contest 169 seats and leaving BJP with 119 of the 288 total assembly seats in the state.
The article further reads, ‘In Lok Sabha polls, BJP achieved a firm command in UP but now the by-poll results have been the opposite. This is a lesson for Maharashtra polls. It is a lesson for all. Don’t take people for granted. Keep your feet on ground. Don’t get swayed by the thumping victory in Lok Sabha polls. Only those who learn this lesson will win Maharashtra. Or else the public will do the needful.’
The BJP has fared reasonably poorly (as compared to the Lok Sabha election) winning 13 out of 23 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Meanwhile, Shah held a marathon meeting with the party leaders on Wednesday over the seat-sharing issues. It is expected that the BJP president would sort out the differences. Sources said, the ruling party leaders are worried over Shiv Sena’s adamant attitude that they can go alone in the election if Shah failed to break the ice.
On Monday, Thackeray has rejected the demand of the BJP to contest 135 seats. Thackeray has also hinted to end their 25-year old alliance by saying that, ‘there is an alternative to everything’.
Differences cropped up after Shiv Sena stuck to its demand to contest 169 seats and leaving BJP with 119 of the 288 total assembly seats in the state.