BJP pacifies workers miffed over seat-sharing with Shiv Sena

State BJP secretary holds meeting, asks workers to ignore secondary issues as the primary goal is to ensure the second term of the PM, with more numbers than in the 2014 elections

The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has swiftly moved into damage control mode. State BJP secretary, Sanjay Upadhyay on Monday evening, held a meeting with Vasai-Virar party workers (part of Palghar Lok Sabha constituency) to pacify them. The local party workers are upset with the party and alliance partner Shiv Sena.

mid-day on Saturday, had reported about how "all is not well," in the saffron alliance in Palghar district, 'Its Palgh-War'. BJP has the sitting MP, but in the seat-sharing arrangement, the seat was allotted to the Sena. Rubbing more salt into the wounds of the BJP workers, Sena inducted BJP MP Rajendra Gavit into its party's fold and nominated him as their candidate for the 2019 general elections.

Irked BJP leaders and workers from Palghar district last week had called for a meeting, and decided not to work for Sena's candidate. Aware that the rift in the saffron alliance could widen further and spread to other areas, the BJP quickly assigned Upadhyay to assuage the situation.

'Ignore secondary issues'

Accordingly on Monday, a meeting of BJP office bearers from the Vasai-Virar region was called at Nallasopara. "No doubt there is anger among the party workers. I patiently heard the grievances. After hearing the party workers, I explained to them how it is important to win every seat, as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi of sending maximum saffron alliance MPs to Delhi. We should ignore secondary issues as the primary goal is to ensure the second term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with more numbers than what they were in the 2014 parliamentary elections," Upadhyay told mid-day.

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The local BJP unit is upset for two reasons - firstly, allotment of the Palghar seat to the alliance partner (Sena) without regional office bearers and workers being taken into confidence; secondly - the sitting BJP MP, Gavit quitting the party and joining Sena, to contest the parliamentary election.

Working for the alliance

Asked whether the party workers have agreed to work for Sena, the state BJP secretary replied in the affirmative. "The local leadership and workers have assured to work for the BJP-Sena alliance as this election is not about individuals, but a mission to bring back Narendrabhai as PM for the second term," Upadhyay added.

Last year in January Chintaman Wanga, the sitting MP from Palghar passed away. Subsequently a bypoll was announced for the seat. Wanga's family tried for the ticket, but instead of giving it to a BJP worker or leader, the party nominated Congress turncoat Rajendra Gavit. Then Shiv Sena had fielded Srinivas Wanga to contest against Gavit. The Thackeray led Sena lost the battle, but pledged to field Wanga's son Srinivas in the 2019 general elections. However, the Sena-BJP formed a pre-poll alliance for the Lok Sabha polls and one of the conditions to fight together, was BJP giving the Palghar seat to Sena.

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Congress-NCP and CPI (M) have decided not to field any candidate and instead support Bahujan Vikas Aghadi's (BVA) candidate in the elections. BVA is the party headed by the Thakur clan which has a clout in the Vasai-Virar belt and nearby region.

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