When for the first time, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena struck electoral alliance during Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s regime, the then two prominent BJP leaders Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde were considered as architect of the alliance. Since than the political alliance is continuing despite several differences, open attack and counter attack. likes and dislikes and many other things.
The alliance was forged on the theme of Hindutva and to avoid split of Hindu votes and counter the Muslims backed Congress and later NCP.
Ram Mandir was also one of the issues since Sena had claimed to have participated in the December 6,1992 demolition of Babri Masjid.
There was a time, few weeks ago when it was almost certain that electoral alliance was probably not possible due to extreme postures taken by Sena while the nd BJP also made up its mind to plan a strategy to fight elections without Sena. Both the parties had internally started
preparations and lists of probable candidates were finalised.
Sena had virtually crossed all the limits of political discipline and decency when it accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi what the combined Opposition was saying, But there was some silver line and the BJP national president probably on the directives of Modi appeared on the political scene.
The talks resumed and the results are now known to us with Sena 23 and BJP contesting 25 Lok Sabha seats.
It was disappointing to miss former National president and Union Minister for Transport, Shipping and Ganga Rejuvenation, Nitin Gadkari from the final act.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Gadkari should have been credited with the striking of electoral alliance for 2019 General elections.
Gadkari and Fadnavis are leaving no stone unturned for the development of State. Be it state or national highways, small, medium or major irrigation projects, infrastructure projects, Metro railways in Nagpur, Pune and Mumbai, health schemes, setting of national instituters like All India Institute of Medical Sciences, farmers’ issues, both leaders have shared the responsibilities on their shoulders.
It would have been appropriate to include Gadkari in the process as he represents second capital in Lok Sabha. Not undermining but Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Prakash Javdekar, both from Rajya Sabha are far behind Gadkari. Well let us hope the top BJP leadership in Mumbai and Delhi rectify their mistakes and build a strong team of Gadkari-Fadnavis to fight the elections.
