Maharashtra polls: Amit Shah calls Uddhav Thackeray, urges him not to break BJP-Shiv Sena alliance

NEW DELHI: BJP President Amit Shah on Monday called on Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, urging him not to break the 25-year old alliance.

This comes against the backdrop of growing dissidence among most of the members in the Maharashtra core committee and senior BJP leaders who are not in favour of an alliance with the Shiv Sena.

This may have a final bearing on whether BJP will take on the assembly polls alone.

From Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari to State BJP Chief Devendra Fadnavis, many are not in favour of an alliance with the Shiv Sena if the latter insists on 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 enter into ‘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.

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

BJP leader Vinod Tawde wants a Sena-BJP alliance, but wants the Sena to give more seats to the BJP. BJP Maharashtra incharge OP Mathur is also not happy with Sena’s behavior and is not keen on the alliance.

Late BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s daughter Pankaja Munde is however, keen on a tie up and has asked the party to adopt a ‘cautious approach’.

(With inputs from ET Bureau)