The Shiv Sena on Friday denied that party chief Uddhav Thackeray was offered the post of NDA convener.
Following the reports in a section of the media that BJP president Rajnath Singh had offered Uddhav the NDA convener’s post, all eyes were on ‘Matoshree’, his residence, in anticipation of a reaction. However, a close aide of Uddhav denied such an offer. The convener’s post would have paved the way for Uddhav’s entry into the national political theatre.
The reports of Rajnath offering NDA convener’s post to Uddhav had gained credence, after the two leaders met here two days ago. Following the meeting, Uddhav had said Rajnath had put emphasis on the alliance between the two parties. Uddhav had then assured Rajnath that the alliance would remain intact, as long as the BJP sticks to the Hindutva stance.
The relationship between the Sena and the BJP had a hit an all-time low, when Nitin Gadkari was the BJP’s national president. On several occasions, Shiv Sena, through its mouthpiece Saamana, had voiced its resent over the internal affairs of the BJP. Though there were reports that Shiv Sena was opposed to Modi as prime ministerial candidate, the stance changed after Bal Thackeray’s demise.