MUMBAI: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday again tried to push former ally BJP into a catch 22 situation over his party’s possible support to the Maharashtra government led by Devendra Fadnavis.
Uddhav first restrained his party nominee Anil Desai from taking oath as minister in the Union government. Later in the evening, he announced that the Sena will support the BJP only if the latter refuses to take direct or indirect support from the NCP.
“If the BJP accepts NCP’s direct or indirect support we will vote against the confidence motion and sit in the Opposition,” Uddhav said. Fadnavis is scheduled to seek the vote of confidence in the House on Wednesday.
The BJP has maintained that it wanted Shiv Sena on board without pre-conditions. “We are ready to accommodate the Shiv Sena in the government once it supports us in passing the confidence motion,” Fadnavis said.
Express had on Saturday reported that Shiv Sena was likely to sit in the opposition as it was not happy with the BJP’s attitude over power sharing in the State.
Uddhav alleged that BJP was trying to break away from its ideology of Hindutva by accepting the NCP’s support.
“It was (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar who had coined the term saffron terrorism. I am of the view that there should not be division in the people who trust in Hindutva. We will find it difficult to work with the BJP if it accepts NCP support,” Uddhav said.
The Sena chief justified his decision to stop Desai from joining the Modi government but indicated that there was room for negotiations with the BJP.
Desai had landed in Delhi to take oath, but Uddhav called him back from the airport.