BJP ?sabotage? angers Shiv Sena

With two days left for the M'rashtra results to come out, there is trouble brewing within the saffron alliance, reports Sujata Anandan.

With two days left for the Maharashtra results to come out, there is trouble brewing within the saffron alliance.

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Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray is reportedly furious with the BJP for allegedly sabotaging his party's chances across the state. This follows the leakage of a list from the BJP headquarters detailing the number of Independents that the BJP allegedly funded against the Sena. The BJP also allegedly supported BSP and SP candidates in a bid to win more seats than the Sena.

The chief ministerial ambitions of state BJP president Gopinath Munde seems to be at the core of this strategy. The arrangement between the Sena and the BJP is that whoever gets more seats gets the CM's post. And sources say Munde is no mood to play second fiddle to the Shiv Sena again.

The BJP hopes to win more seats than the Sena, rope in the Independents it has sponsored to form the government and then pip its electoral partner to the CMs chair. But with the BJP contesting around 54 seats less than the Sena, Munde's ascension would not be possible unless the Sena loses heavily at the polls, hence his strategy.

Munde is furious that the list was leaked and the BJP has launched a damage control exercise. But the damage may already have been done.