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‘Modi and Shah want alliance to stay’

Om Mathur, central BJP observer for state polls, says his party won’t compromise on dignity though.

Om Mathur, the central BJP observer for the upcoming state Assembly elections, Monday said the party’s Mission 272 plus in the Lok Sabha polls was not at the expense of its alliance partners in NDA. “Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah are keen on keeping the Sena-BJP alliance intact, albeit without compromising the dignity of the party,” he told The Indian Express.

Mathur said, “When Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared BJP Mission 272, it was not at the cost of reducing the numbers or electoral prospects of any of its alliance partners who were in the NDA. The BJP ensured that the allies’ strength and seats were safeguarded. The BJP has never made any attempt to overlook or undermine the electoral growth of its allies even as it made concerted attempts to emerge as the single largest party in India.”

He added, “In the same way in the changing political situation across the country, we also expect our alliance partner Shiv Sena in Maharashtra to reckon our political strength and accordingly take decisions while evolving the new seat-sharing formula for 288 assembly seats in state.

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Referring to the BJP’s demand for 130 seats, Mathur said, “BJP leaders are trying to reason that Sena should be keen to discuss those 33 seats which it contested and lost its deposits in the successive state assembly elections.” He added: “There are 59 seats which Sena has never been able to win.” The BJP wants Sena to talk on these seats.

While acknowledging that process of dialogue was underway, he said, “The foremost issue is to settle on seat numbers. Once the talks take place across the table and final numbers are arrived at, it will easy to move ahead.” However, he asserted, “ BJP state president Devendra Fadnavis has sent the proposal to Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray last Saturday. The proposal stated that Sena contests 140 seats, BJP 130 seats and allies 18 seats.”

Festive offer

“Now, it is for the Shiv Sena to reciprocate to our proposal.” When pointed out that Sena has already indicated it would not concede more than 119 seats to BJP, he said, “Let us see. There is still time for the issues under debate,” said Mathur.

Asked if BJP would reconsider Uddhav Thackeray’s proposal of Sena 151 seats, BJP 119 seats and allies 18 seats, he said, “The central and state leadership of the BJP after its meeting has already expressed its disappointment over that proposal. Our state leaders have already indicated it was not acceptable.” However, Mathur was quick to point out, “Since the discussions at various levels are taking place, we are trying our level best to keep the alliance intact. As the primary concern which is uppermost in BJP’s mind is to get rid of the Congress in Maharashtra. We want to dislodge the corrupt Congress-NCP government in Maharashtra.”

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Asked what was the most important message from PM Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah to state leadership on Sena-BJP alliance, he said, “Both Modi and Shah feel Sena and BJP alliance which was evolved on 25 years ago through common ideology should work. But both of them also believe that BJP should get its fair deal in the alliance from its partner.”

First uploaded on: 23-09-2014 at 10:25 IST
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