Sena is no longer oxygen to BJP in Maharashtra

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

One of the longest surviving political alliances in India has hit the rocks. After standing the test of times for years BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and the Shiv Sena find each other on different platforms. The Saffron brigade is divided over the issue of migrants from North India to Mumbai. The RSS which first opposed Sena's continues attack of the migrants has been joined by it's political face BJP. This was anticipated as the BJP President Nitin Gadkari has been an RSS strongman.

Shiv Sena which has always tried to champion the cause of the Marathi Manoos had stepped up it's anti-migrants (especially from Uttar Pradesh and Biharafter the defeat in the assembly elections. Shiv Sena which has been hurt by Raj Thackrey's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is trying it's best become the voice of the Marathi people who seem to have lost trust in them. Their recent moves seem to be of a desperate political forces trying to regain lost grounds.

BJP which has been a silent observer to Sena's wrath on the North Indian migrants over the years seems to have lost patience with Bal Thackrey and his party. BJP which is trying hard to regain political grounds in Uttar Pradesh and other parts of North India finds its alliance with Shiv Sena in Maharashtra a over-loaded baggage. The party now believes being a silent observer to Sena's politics may prove to be detrimental in the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh 2012.

BJP which is itself going for a complete overhaul with a new President wants to regain it's image as an alternative to the Congress at the centre. Bal Thackrey's militant regional politics doesn't fit the bill for the BJP any more. BJP which performed better in the Maharashtra assembly polls than the Shiv Sena don't consider Sena to be oxygen for it's survival in Maharashtra. Disassociation with Sena is a price the party is willing to pay to regain support in the North which had been it's traditional stronghold.

Considering the fact that the Congress and the NCP also took an anti-migrant stance with their recent decision on the Taxi permit, BJP is seeing this as a golden opportunity to be seen as the only voice for migrants in Maharashtra. Standing up for the migrants will also rid BJP from some of the sins committed by the Sena which it silently watched. Dumping Bal Thackrey's party may not be that bad a idea for the BJP in the long run and taking into consideration the national aspirations of the party.