MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena, that had been claiming that it won’t settle for anything less than half the assembly seats for the alliance, is now searching for a face-saver after it became clear that the BJP and other allies would contest 164 assembly seats in Maharashtra while Shiv Sena has got only 124 in its quota.
The party that had brought the analogy of ‘big brother’ and ‘younger brother’ in public discourse around the assembly election in Maharashtra is now facing a challenge in defending its “smaller partner” role in the alliance. The party mouthpiece Saamana has come out with a justification for this saying that the party shall now strive for 100 per cent success in whatever it has got in the alliance.
“Whenever you are in an alliance, who have to give something to get something. This time Shiv Sena had to give more and got less in return. But, now we are sure that whatever we have got, we shall gain 100 per cent success in that,” said the editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday.
Prior to 2014, the Shiv Sena used to contest 171 and the BJP 117 seats in assembly polls. The alliance broke when BJP demanded equal share in 2014. Now, the opposition has started targeting Shiv Sena for accepting 124 seats against BJP’s 164. The edit, however, interpreted it as “BJP has emerged as a major party on the national level. Many from other parties to have joined them in Maharashtra. To pacify them all, they needed a major share of seats and we have accepted it with a big heart.”
The edit also dealt with criticism from the opposition parties saying that while the parties in ruling alliance have agreed on certain issues. Does the opposition guaranty the same in case of their alliance?
Wait for my reaction till Dusserrah Rally: Uddhav
Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray, while pacifying party workers on Wednesday, appealed them to wait for his speech at the Dusserrah Rally (October 8), where he said, he will clarify all the issues regarding the alliance.