They were fellows for decades. They had similar ideological planks of nationalism and Hindutva to unite them. But the growing bickering saw them breaking their 25-year old alliance in September 2014, a month before the Maharashtra assembly polls in October 2014. Elections made BJP the single largest party in Maharashtra and thus Shiv Sena's senior partner, a first in state politics. Shiv Sena happened to be BJP's big brother in state politics before it.
Though Shiv Sena came back to
the alliance fold again, developments since then clearly tell us that it has
always been an uneasy alliance with the party, its leaders and cadre taking on
both, the Devendra Fadnavis government and the BJP led central government. Shiv
Sena's mouthpiece Saamana regularly comes up with editorials slamming the BJP. Threatening
to break alliance even on slightest of pretext has become a routine. Both
allies fought the recently held Mumbai civic polls (BMC) separately, where
again, they were ruling partners for many years.
How strained the relation
between the allies has become can be gauged from words of Manohar Joshi, former
Maharashtra CM and veteran Shiv Sena leader. In an interview published today, Joshi
said that Shiv Sena was no longer in an alliance with the BJP. Rather, it was
just an adjustment. And if we scan through the developments of even just last
two months, we can see the contradictions of BJP-Sena alliance getting deeper
with Sena slamming the BJP on almost every other issue.
AMARNATH YATRA ATTACK
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav
Thackeray slammed the BJP led central government for terror attack on a bus of Amarnath
Yarta pilgrims that left seven killled and in a satirical comment said that the
so-called Gau Rakshaks (or cow vigilantes) should be sent there to fight
terrorists.
AIR INDIA DISINVESTMENT
Drawing a Kashmir parallel,
Shiv Sena criticised the decision saying tomorrow the government may proceed to
sell Kashmir citing the huge security cost involved. Shiv Sena termed Air
India, national carrier, India's icon and pride.
FARMERS' PROTESTS AND FARM LOAN
WAIVER
Shiv Sena has supported farm
protests demanding total farm loan waiver. When the Fadnavis government
announced last month its farm loan waiver scheme, Shiv Sena took credit saying
the pressure put by it worked but at the same time ratcheted up its attack
demanding a total waiver.
The Rs. 34000 crore farm
waiver announced by the Fadnavis government is aimed at the most needy small
and marginal farmers with loan amount up to Rs. 1.5 lakh. The debt waiver covers
40 lakh farmers completely but other 49 lakh farmers who have higher debt have
been left out of its ambit beyond the cap of Rs. 1.5 lakh.
But Uddhav Thackeray has been
demanding a blanket farm loan waiver without any condition and has vowed to
raise the issue till every farmer become debt free and as recently as July 10,
Shiv Sena organized protests in Maharashtra districts to reiterate its demand
for the blanket waiver.
KASHMIR UNREST
Shiv Sena has blamed the
Centre and the BJP-PDP alliance government in Jammu & Kashmir for letting
the situation spiral out of control and has demanded imposition of President
Rule. Blaming J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti for making reckless statements while
the state is burning, Shiv Sena says it is sad the BJP still backs her.
DEVENDRA
FANDAVIS' ASSERTION ON MID-TERM POLLS
First it was Maharashtra CM
Devendra Fadnavis. Then it was BJP President Amit Shah. Last month, they both issued
a veiled warning to Shiv Sena saying that the BJP was prepared for mid-term
polls if the same was 'imposed upon them'.
Shiv Sena hit back saying BJP
might care for mid-term polls, Shiv Sena's priorities of the moment were issues
like Kashmir and Darjeeling.
©SantoshChaubey
