Is Gadkari's gain Uddhav's pain?

Elevation of staunch Sena critic Nitin Gadkari to post of national BJP chief may see alliance partners begin to move apart like never before

Elevation of staunch Sena critic Nitin Gadkari to post of national BJP chief may see alliance partners begin to move apart like never before

shortly after the appointment of Nitin Gadkari as the BJP national president, the state BJP has made its intention clear that it is seeking to expand its base in Maharashtra on its own steamu2014without hobbling on the crutches of the Shiv Sena.

This stand assumes significance because unlike the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, the architect of the Sena-BJP alliance in the state, Gadkari is known to be a Shiv Sena critic who has wanted to end the alliance because of the latter's "big brotherly" attitude.

State spokesman of BJP Madhav Bhandari said, "It is premature to predict the future at this stage. We want to expand in Maharashtra in a big way, and on our own strength. Gadkari may have his own ideas and reservations about the Sena, but now that he is a national president, he will think of the issue from the national perspective and not allow his personal views to sway political decisions."

Bhandari said, "The BJP-Sena alliance gains importance only during the time of elections. Now it is five years away and we feel we have enough time to grow and expand in Maharashtra."u00a0

"Having said that it is also a fact that the Sena is a part of the NDA and as of now we are all together," he added.

MNS onslaught
The Sena, which is already tottering under the onslaught of MNS, is also unsure which side the political winds will blow in the wake of these new political developments. While admitting that there have been ups and down in the Sena-BJP relationship, it wants to keep its fingers crossed on the future of its political ties while welcoming the appointment of Gadkari as the BJP national president.

Neelam Gorhe, spokesperson of Shiv Sena, admitted that there had been considerable hiccups between the Sena and BJP in Maharashtra. "Yes, there have been ups and downs in the relationship between the two parties. But it is difficult to hazard a guess as to what will be the future of the alliance."

She said, "Irrespective of the differences between the two parties in Maharashtra, there is no denying the fact that Gadkari has done a lot of work in irrigation and roads in Maharashtra and he has contributed to the development of Vidarbha. Hence we feel that it should augur well in the long run".

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