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  Metros   Mumbai  01 Jun 2018  BJP uneasy after bypoll results

BJP uneasy after bypoll results

THE ASIAN AGE. | UMAKANT DESHPANDE
Published : Jun 1, 2018, 1:14 am IST
Updated : Jun 1, 2018, 1:14 am IST

There were many candidates in the fray who helped the BJP in dividing the opposition votes.

NCP workers celebrate their party's success in Bhandara–Gondiya Loksabha by-elections, outside their party office, in Bhandara district of Maharashtra on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)
 NCP workers celebrate their party's success in Bhandara–Gondiya Loksabha by-elections, outside their party office, in Bhandara district of Maharashtra on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: The results of the two Lok Sabha seats in the state declared on Thursday, which saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress winning a seat each, signalled a significant change in Maharashtra politics.

While the Bhandara-Gondia result has bought the Congress and the National Congress Party (NCP) closer, the differences between the Shiv Sena and the BJP are likely to only widen further. After the bitter defeat in Palghar, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday vowed to go it alone in 2019, adding to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s worries about running his government.

Tension between the ruling BJP-Shiv Sena alliance have escalated following the bypoll result due to the Sena’s marginal loss in Palghar. Mr Thackeray had turned the election into a battle of prestige while Mr Fadnavis tried all means using ‘saam, daam, dand, bhed’  to win the elections as his leadership was at stake. Hence the CM played all his cards to ensure a division of votes in Palghar.

The decision of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi  led by MLA Hitendra Thakur to fight the elections only proved beneficial for the BJP. As for the Congress, it had not taken the elections seriously, which helped the Sena. There were many candidates in the fray who helped the BJP in dividing the opposition votes.

The NCP’s victory in the Bhandara-Gondia bypoll was due to its alliance with the Congress. The two parties were able to resolve their initial differences quickly as the Congress leadership gave up its claim over the seat and supported the NCP in defeating the BJP. The fact that both parties have decided to join hands for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections next year, is likely to be a cause of worry for BJP.

So despite Mr Thackeray’s declaration about the Sena going solo, CM Fadnavis and the BJP leadership is still trying to woo them. Mr Fadnavis said, “We are ready for an alliance with the Shiv Sena, but if they don’t want it, we will have to fight. Our fight with the Sena in Palghar was very painful. We have the same ideology. Sena will not go with parties against whom it has fought the battle of ideology,” he said.

BJP spokesperson Maghav Bhandari added, “Though we fought the elections against each other in Bhandara, our government is safe and will complete its tenure. Differences during the election period are obvious and we will run the government together.”

Allying fears of the Sena opting out of government, party spokesperson Dr Neelam Gorhe said, “Though the Sena fought against the BJP in Palghar, we will continue in the government at present. Our party chief Uddav Thackeray will decide on the future course of action. But we fought the BMC and other local bodies elections solo. We openly opposed the government on farmer’s loan waiver, inflation, land acquisition and other issues. So we will continue to take firm stand in the interest of the public, though we are in the government.”

Tags: palghar byelection, uddhav thackeray