‘Cunningness’ doesn’t always work in politics: Sena to BJP

As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tries to recover from its Bihar poll debacle, its long-term ally Shiv Sena on Tuesday dealt another blow to the party, saying that “cunningness” does not always work in politics and that the common man will respond appropriately if promises made are not fulfilled.

“Many a time, a wave comes and then goes. Once it goes, there remains no trace of that wave. It is true that the BJP had a big win in the Lok Sabha elections...There was no strong ‘pehelwan’ in the arena and it (BJP) thus emerged as the ‘bahubali’,” the Sena said in its mouthpiece Saamana, while it ridiculed BJP leaders for giving advice to others on shedding ego.

Taking a dig at the BJP, the Sena said their leaders are “great” and “cannot make any mistake” and whatever they say should be considered true. However, the editorial added that “in politics, cunningness does not always work”.

Several non-NDA parties have hailed the handsome mandate for the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance in Bihar polls as a “victory of principles” and defeat of the “arrogance” of the BJP. “(BJP leader) Sushil Kumar Modi has advised (RJD chief) Lalu Prasad to shed his ego after winning the Bihar elections. It is comical to see BJP leaders giving advice on ego to others, but in politics and specially during election times, such comical things keep happening,” it said.

Sena, a partner in the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra, said nobody had a the formula for consistently winning elections.