Nitin Gadkari's dialogue with Raj Thackeray fuels alliance talks

MUMBAI: Senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari's talks with MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday has fuelled speculation that the MNS may skip the Lok Sabha elections entirely to help consolidate the anti-Congress votes in the state for the Lok Sabha polls. Such a deal will pave the way for the MNS' eventual induction into the Sena-BJP combine for the Assembly elections in October.

Last week, Raj, whose party is organisationally feeble and wracked by factionalism, was seriously examining the viability of not contesting elections, as Bal Thackeray had done in 1977. Also, the MNS is short of candidates with an elective merit for the Lok Sabha election.

Gadkari, who met Raj at the Four Seasons hotel in central Mumbai, is attempting to brighten Sena-BJP's electoral chances vis-a-vis the ruling DF alliance in Maharashtra, which is largely seen as a Congress-NCP bastion.

The MNS president heard out Gadkari, but declined to offer any kind of assurance to the BJP leader, sources in the MNS said. "Rajsaheb will take the final decision which doubtless will be in the interest of the MNS and the people of Maharashtra," said MNS MLA Pravin Darekar.

Gadkari later told mediapersons that the meeting was part of the BJP's all-India exercise to consolidate anti-Congress forces.

However, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is said to be upset with the Gadkari-Raj conclave. The Sena isn't willing to break bread with the MNS, as Raj had last year turned down Uddhav's suggestion that the MNS should join the saffron bandwagon. It is not the BJP's intent, but Gadkari's friendship with Raj Thackeray that worries Matoshree, say Sena watchers. Uddhav will soon take up the issue with the BJP's central leadership, Sena sources said.

Gadkari was the chief guest at a recent MNS function in Nashik which Raj presided over. "In politics, one keeps meeting workers and leaders from other parties. I am a national leader and am free to meet leaders from other political parties," Gadkari said when told that the Sena may take unkindly to his talks with Raj.

"If the MNS accepts our suggestion to skip the Lok Sabha elections then further spadework can be done to get the party on board the saffron alliance in the run up to the state assembly elections," a key BJP leader said. "The 2009 poll details show that the MNS participation in the polls led to a division in the anti-incumbency votes, thereby helping the Congress-NCP candidates. Things would certainly be much better for us if the MNS decides not to field candidates in the upcoming polls."

But if pressure mounts on Raj from his party men to fight the Lok Sabha elections, the Sena may offer the Nashik seat to the MNS while the BJP will offer it the Pune seat.