After Ram Madhav’s remark, Sena says BJP may fall short of majority

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said the next government will be an “NDA government”, where the “allies will have a larger role”.

A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Ram Madhav hinted at the party’s assessment that it may fall short of majority, its ally in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, echoed the view, saying it could be difficult for the ruling party to form the next government on its own.

A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Ram Madhav hinted at the party’s assessment that it may fall short of majority, its ally in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena, echoed the view, saying it could be difficult for the ruling party to form the next government on its own. (Saumya Khandelwal/HT PHOTO)

Senior Sena leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said the next government will be an “NDA government”, where the “allies will have a larger role”. “If their spokesperson Ram Madhav feels that the BJP will not get a majority on its own, we and other allies will definitely stand by them. But it is certain that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will form the next government,” Raut told Hindustan Times.

Madhav’s statement is the first by a senior BJP member, suggesting the party will have to stitch together an alliance to form the government. Raut, in his interaction on TV and news agencies, said it will be difficult for the BJP to reach the 280-seat mark. “What Madhav said is right. The NDA will form the next government. The BJP will be the single largest party. It looks a bit difficult for the BJP to reach the 280-282 figure…Our NDA parivar (family) will cross the majority mark,” Raut told a TV channel.