Almost all BJP leaders in Maharashtra oppose alliance with Shiv Sena

NEW DELHI: Most of the members in the Maharashtra core committee and senior BJP leaders are not in favour of an alliance with the Shiv Sena which may have a final bearing on whether the BJP wants to go it alone for the assembly polls.

From Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to State BJP Chief Devendra Fadnavis many of these leaders are not in favour of an alliance with the Shiv Sena if the latter insists on not allocating it more seats. Leaders like Nitin Gadkari have an openly antagonistic relationship with the Sena and want to break the alliance. Sena has attacked Gadkari a number of times in its newspaper ‘Saamna’.

The Gadkari camp believes that it could come to power if it ropes in smaller allies in the ‘Mahayuti’ and then enters into a ‘strategic seat sharing’ with MNS without actually entering into an alliance.

State BJP Chief Devendra Fadnavis wants an alliance but believes that the BJP should get at least 130 seats, if the Sena doesn’t give that many seats then he too wants the Sena-BJP to break up.

Leader of opposition in Maharashtra- Eknath Khadse is also apparently not keen on an alliance.

BJP leader Vinod Tawde wants the Sena-BJP alliance to happen but wants the Sena to give mor seats to the BJP. BJP Maharashtra incharge OP Mathur is not happy with Sena’s behavior and is not keen on the alliance.Late BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s daughter Pankaja Munde is keen on a tie up and has asked the party to adopt a ‘cautious approach’.