Party’s warm up for solo poll dance

Are they together or are they not Well, that’s the question on every karyakarta’s (party workers) mind in the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party at the grass root level.

With the local body polls around the corner (December), it seems the Sena is likely to fight the elections across the state single-handedly. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray held a meeting with all his ministers and MPs at Matoshree on Thursday to decide whether to join hands with the BJP for the upcoming local body polls.

Sources from the Sena said that the mood of the sainiks is to go it alone minus the BJP.

Apparently, Mr Thackeray also endorsed the “solo” view citing examples of the Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party and the AIADMK. However, decision about the alliance with BJP for Mumbai Municipal Corporation was not taken at the meeting. “We are prepared to go solo. The Sena has a good network and going it alone will increase its strength at many places. Uddhavji has also accepted that this is the time to contest without seeking help from our old partner,” said a senior Sena MP on the condition of anonymity. When asked about the BMC poll, the MP said that it would be decided after Diwali.

A fly on the wall from the Sena camp said that keeping in mind the increasing rift between the Sena and BJP, and certain issues that have reached a point of no resolve, even Mr Thackeray felt that Sena leaders should start preparing to contest the polls alone.

“Mr Thackeray cited examples of how the BJP tried to damage Naveen Patnaik but he fought back and sustained his party in Odisha. Ditto with minister J Jayalalithaa in Tamil Nadu and RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav who fought with BJP in Bihar. Where are we lacking We should also prepare to fight our battle,” the Sena leader said. He further added that it was pointed out in the meeting as to how the BJP first sought help from the regional parties and then damaged them.