Mumbai: Ahead of the government formation in Maharashtra which got a fractured mandate in the recent assembly elections, the Shiv Sena yesterday appeared to soften its stance vis-a-vis the BJP and the chief ministerial choice.
The party indicated its willingness to support “anybody” from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as the state chief minister who would work towards the unity, integrity and development of Maharashtra.
The party noted and acknowledged the BJP’s performance in the polls: “We are happy at the BJP’s win...Even the Shiv Sena secured big wins in Konkan, Marathwada, north Maharashtra and other places for which we are thankful to the voters.”
In an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana, the Shiv Sena clearly distanced itself from the ongoing manipulations within the BJP, saying the party won in Maharashtra only because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah.
“There are many contenders in the BJP for the post of the chief minister, but only Modi and Shah will decide. We don’t want Maharashtra to be divided on caste and regional lines and the new chief minister must ensure this and preserve the Marathi pride,” it urged.
The editorial pointed out that the Shiv Sena’s contributions for Hindutva in Mumbai and Maharashtra remain unmatched.
“We supported all Hindus, irrespective of caste — whether they are Gujaratis, Rajasthanis, Marwaris, Jain, Sindhis or north Indians. We always gave them our love and affection. But the manner in which the votes fell (in the assembly polls), we have to accept that caste-religion manipulations do exist,” it said.
On the prospects of the next state chief minister, the Shiv Sena adopted a neutral stand while highlighting the qualities of some of the major BJP contenders.
IANS
