BJP chief placates CM Shinde with seats and berths

Nadda, who was in Maharashtra on Wednesday and Thursday, held a closed-door meeting with Shinde, which lasted for over an hour. The duo discussed the strategy for the forthcoming elections, seat-sharing, cabinet expansion, coordination between the two parties ahead of the elections and the outreach programme as the ruling combine.

Mumbai: After the BJP’s crushing defeat in the recent Karnataka assembly polls, the party’s national president J P Nadda has taken great pains to reassure the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena that the BJP sees it as a significant partner, and that the two parties will fight the upcoming polls together.

The Nadda-Shinde meeting and Nadda’s assurances are being seen as significant, given that BJP leaders had recently indicated that the Shinde Sena was a minor ally. The ongoing reports about Ajit Pawar and NCP MLAs being on the threshold of joining the BJP and subsequently the state government has also disturbed Shinde faction leaders. (HT PHOTO)

Nadda, who was in Maharashtra on Wednesday and Thursday, held a closed-door meeting with Shinde, which lasted for over an hour. The duo discussed the strategy for the forthcoming elections, seat-sharing, cabinet expansion, coordination between the two parties ahead of the elections and the outreach programme as the ruling combine.

The Nadda-Shinde meeting and Nadda’s assurances are being seen as significant, given that BJP leaders had recently indicated that the Shinde Sena was a minor ally. The ongoing reports about Ajit Pawar and NCP MLAs being on the threshold of joining the BJP and subsequently the state government has also disturbed Shinde faction leaders.

Nadda reportedly tried to set Shinde’s mind at rest by assuring him of a respectable position in terms of power-sharing. “Thirteen Sena MPs, who sided with Shinde after the split in the Shiv Sena, are worried that they may not be renominated from their respective constituencies,” said a BJP leader. “They are apprehensive about their party’s share of seats, given the BJP’s strategy of potential big-time induction of opposition leaders into the party ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. However, Nadda assured the Shinde camp of a sizable chunk of seats in the Lok Sabha elections as well as a significant number of berths in the cabinet expansion which is expected to take place soon.”

Nadda discussed electoral strategy and preparations with BJP and Sena leaders for local body and general elections in separate meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Leaders from both parties also discussed the potential fallout of the recent SC ruling and the measures to be taken to counter the sympathy earned by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena as well as the possibility of it going northward if the remaining rebel MLAs were disqualified. They were also in agreement that the unity in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition could cost them politically in the forthcoming polls. Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and state and unit chiefs Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Ashish Shelar were part of the meeting.

In his concluding speech in the state executive committee meeting held in Pune, Nadda appealed to party workers and leaders to reach out to the maximum number of voters and expand the party by enrolling more members. “The state unit of the party has chalked out a programme for aggressive outreach towards the electorate, but I would request every worker to enroll at least 10 people from across castes and creeds as party members in the next one year,” he said. “You should assure the voters that electing the MVA will hurt the interests of the state, while electing the NDA is a vote for development. Party workers should tell people about how the MVA was inefficient and stalled all development works during its reign.” The BJP leader also resolved to visit Maharashtra every two months in the next one year.

Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis hit out at the opposition, especially Uddhav Thackeray. “None of the eight prayers by the Thackeray faction in the Supreme Court was admitted, despite which the leaders of the leftover party (Shiv Sena) have been claiming that the verdict is a victory for them,” he said. “Someone needs to tell them that the apex court has validated our government.” Fadnavis also read out 10 points from NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s autobiography to ridicule Thackeray, specially citing Pawar’s remark in the book that Thackeray was unfit to occupy the top seat.