By Ritvick Arun Bhalekar: Shiv Sena MP and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son Shrikant Shinde slammed BJP leaders in the state’s Kalyan-Dombivli unit on Friday and said there are some who are engaging in “selfish politics”. His remark comes a day after local BJP leaders passed a resolution not to support Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The resolution was made during a meeting held in Shrikant’s Kalyan constituency in the presence of the cabinet minister from the BJP, Ravindra Chavan. The cause of the rift between the two parties who have partnered up in Maharashtra is believed to be a molestation case filed against BJP’s Dombivli East Mandal president Nandu Joshi. The local BJP leaders have alleged that Joshi was framed by Shiv Sena leaders to settle political scores.
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Reacting to the resolution, Shrikant Shinde said the party is determined to reinstate Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024. “We will try hard for it. But, for some petty reasons, the selfish politics in the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance is being continued by some leaders in Dombivli,” he added.
The Shiv Sena MP also said he does not aspire to any post and it is the senior leaders of the alliance who will take the decision of who to nominate in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “Even if I am not nominated, we will unanimously campaign for whoever is the candidate and make him win,” added Shrikant Shinde.
Shrikant Shinde, however, clarified that there is no misunderstanding between the senior leadership of both parties.
He said the Shiv Sena’s aim is to form a BJP-Shiv Sena alliance and a government of the alliance at the Centre. “I am ready to resign from my post if anyone opposes the work we are doing in that direction, if anyone is upset and if there is a disruption in the alliance,” he added.
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The rift between the Shiv Sena and the BJP comes just a few days after Eknath Shinde announced that the two parties will jointly contest all upcoming elections in the state, including the Lok Sabha polls, state Assembly and local body elections.
Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won 45 seats.
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Published On:
Jun 9, 2023
