Uddhav Thackeray

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday termed its ally Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “power hungry” and said if it weren’t for the mistake of letting it grow in Goa, the chief minister of Goa would have been a Shiv Sainik.

For the upcoming Goa poll, the Sena has formed an alliance with former RSS leader Subhash Velingkar’s party.

“When BJP did not even have a single flag here in Goa, (Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackarey helped gave them a footing. We thought BJP and MGP (Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party) are parties with ideology, and so, Sena never interfered in Goa,” Mr Thackarey told a workers’ convention at Porvorim in Goa.

BJP is in alliance with MGP in Goa.

“Shiv Sena always thought it will restrict itself to Maharashtra, and let BJP spread its wings across the country, including in Delhi. So we never interfered in other states,” he said.

Mr Thackeray was in Goa campaigning for his party and his next stop will be Varanasi.

However, even as the Sena ridiculed its ally’s methods, Maharashtra president of BJP Raosaheb Danve has expressed his party’s willingness to join hands with the Shiv Sena for the local body election in Mumbai, provided it gets “honourable seat sharing.”

Mr Danve said that district party units have been given the authority to decide on seat sharing at the local level. The Sena has so far not made it clear if it will go solo for the local body polls beginning November.

However, its leaders have insinuated on various platforms that they would like to go it alone this time.

“Shiv Sena is our natural ally. We have contested all elections barring the 2014

Maharashtra Assembly poll together. Even for the Kalyan-Dombivali civic poll, our alliance did not materialise owing to disagreements over seat-sharing. We are in favour of an alliance with the Sena. We have asked the district units to take a call and hold discussions with the Sena regarding seat adjustments accordingly,” Mr Danve told reporters.

Mr Danve further said his party was looking for some seat-sharing pact that would be agreeable to both. “We want an honourable pact. Shiv Sena should give us its proposal and we will get back to them after discussing the same with our leaders,” he said. Asked about BJP leaders such as Ashish Shelar and Kirit Somaiya demanding the party should go solo in the ensuing polls, Mr Danve said he was airing the party’s official line as the state unit head.