Fate of Ananth Geete, BJP-Shiv Sena alliance at Centre uncertain

NEW DELHI: Hours before the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance was officially called off on Thursday, the only Sena minister in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, Ananth Geete, said the alliance will remain intact at the Centre.

"We have fought the polls in alliance, the alliance is of NDA (National Democratic Alliance). So, we have no complaints about that, we are a still a part of the NDA. Yes, it will remain at the Centre," heavy industries minister Geete said.

However, BJP has pushed the ball in the Sena's court and party sources said it was up to Sena to decide whether Geete quits his ministerial post.

With a bitter break-up just before assembly polls, the former allies will be campaigning against each other in Maharashtra and it is unlikely that the alliance at the Centre will continue. In that case, the Sena minister will have to quit and the 18 Lok Sabha and four Rajya Sabha MPs of the Sena will get unattached from the NDA.

In fact, with the rival Congress-NCP alliance also splitting, new political equations are not ruled out, even if it does not happen before the assembly polls on October 15. Keen watchers of Maharashtra politics predict Raj Thackeray's MNS and Sharad Pawar's NCP getting closer to BJP.

A tactical understanding between BJP and MNS and even NCP is not ruled out for the assembly polls, given that MNS had not put up any candidates in the Lok Sabha polls to help Modi win. That Raj Thackeray shares a good equation with several BJP stalwarts in the state, including former party chief Nitin Gadkari, could help the BJP in the coming polls.

Pawar too has had long-standing relations with many top BJP leaders. BJP is sure to need some help in the absence of Sena, as the party does not have a strong hold in many pockets in the state.