Opposition unites to fight defection to BJP

Even as speculations are rife that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could poach legislators of the Shiv Sena as well as Opposition parties in case a BJP-Sena deal

Even as speculations are rife that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could poach legislators of the Shiv Sena as well as Opposition parties in case a BJP-Sena deal doesn’t work out, Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP) Maharashtra president Jayant Patil on Monday said they plan to field a joint candidate of all parties against any legislator who defects to the BJP.

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The move comes at a time when political activities for formation of a government in Maharashtra have gained momentum. It also indicates that all parties have come together against the BJP. The development assumes significance as the NCP and Shiv Sena are exploring the possibility of forming an alternative government in the state.

While the BJP and Sena fought the elections together, they won 105 and 56 seats, respectively. In the 288-member state assembly, a party needs 145 MLAs to prove majority. Since the Maharashtra Assembly elections were announced on October 24, the BJP and Shiv Sena have been sparring over equal share in power and chief minister position on rotation.

There is speculation that the BJP is trying to poach Shiv Sena legislators to form a government on its own. On Monday, independent MLA Ravi Rana, who is considered close to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, claimed that 20-25 Shiv Sena MLAs are in contact with the chief minister. The BJP has denied any such attempt. “We have decided to field a joint candidate from all parties except BJP, in case a legislator defects. We want to make it very clear that defections will not be tolerated henceforth,” Patil said. He also said that this is being done as a precautionary measure. “It is a hypothetical scenario at the moment. If defections happen, we will deliberate on what has to be done at that time. Defection will not happen from the Shiv Sena,” said Neelam Gorhe, deputy Sena leader.

State finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said: “There is no need to contact or poach MLAs of any other parties as we have got the mandate and we are also sure the BJP and Shiv Sena are forming the government together.” The opposition parties had seen mass exodus in the run-up to the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The NCP lost eight sitting MLAs either to the BJP or Shiv Sena.