NCP rules out support to BJP if Sena walks out

Another party leader who will be part of the October 15 meeting, claimed that the BJP feels “suffocated” with the Sena’s behaviour towards it. “Though Sena is a part of the BJP government, both at Centre and in the state, it has not wasted even a single opportunity to criticise Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president Amit Shah and the BJP”, the leader said, requesting anonymity.

“BJP and Sena will complete its five year tenure and nothing can affect the stability of the government”, he said. However, Mr. Pawar told reporters here that was no longer the case.

The NCP had offered support to BJP as it wanted a stable government, he said. BJP’s three-decade old ally Shiv Sena has shown a rebellious attitude and the bitter relation between the saffron mates is escalating as their tenure moves ahead.

Mr. Pawar also predicted that in view of the internal differences in the ruling coalition the State government may not last long. A source in the Shiv Sena said the meeting was an indication that senior ministers were not in a mood to break away from the government, as it was being speculated.

The ties between the two pro-Hindutva parties, under strain for quite a few time now, worsened further after Shiv Sena activists blackened the face of former BJP strategist Sudheendra Kulkarni for organising the book launch of Pakistan’s ex-foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and forced cancellation of the concert of ghazal singer Ghulam Ali. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray was not invited, on the plea that it was a Government event and that Mr Thackeray did not hold any office. According to the party functionary, BJP wants the Shiv Sena to “quit” from power. “Both will try to run the government in the current circumstances”, Pawar said.

He touched upon the critical drought situation in the state and said the government must implement concrete steps to bring relief to the debt-hit farmers. The policies remained on paper without implementation, like the crop insurance scheme.

Industry minister Subhash Desai said they made it clear to Fadnavis that it was his responsibility to assuage the Sena.