BJP Will Win 2019 Polls with or Without Shiv Sena: Fadnavis

The chief minister also added that the BJP and the Sena may form an alliance given the ‘political reality’.

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. 

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)

During an interaction with journalists on Friday, 26 October, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Bhartiya Janata Party will emerge victorious in the state and Lok Sabha polls in 2019, with or without its old ally Shiv Sena, Hindustan Times reported.

Hinting at a promising future between the two parties, Fadnavis added that the BJP will reach out to Shiv Sena to form an alliance. However, he cautioned that if the alliance does not fall into place, his party is already “prepared” and would emerge victorious without their (Shiv Sena) help.

Fadnavis was speaking to the journalists at a government guest house in Mumbai. His government will complete four years in the state on 31 October.

“Both of us will suffer if we don’t have an alliance. If we form one, we will win the polls easily and if we don’t, we [BJP] will have to struggle a little. But, the BJP will be the number one party in any scenario.’’

Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis to <i>Hindustan Times</i>.

Earlier this year, Shiv Sena had announced that the party would contest solo in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly polls and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Similarly in July, BJP chief Amit Shah during an interaction with party workers in Mumbai had said that BJP should prepare to contest the 2019 elections alone as there could be “no alliance” with Shiv Sena.

‘Alliance Would be Formed Given Political Reality’

During Fadnavis’s brief with the journalists, the CM also suggested the alliance between BJP and Shiv Sena would be formed given the political reality.

“If someone like Lalu (Prasad) and Nitish Kumar or Mayawati and Mulayam (Singh Yadav), who didn’t see eye to eye, came together then that was because of political reality. Politics works on political reality.”

Fadnavis, to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/political-reality-may-bring-shiv-sena-bjp-together-cm-devendra-fadnavis/articleshow/66386370.cms">The Economic Times</a>.

BJP Stance on Ram Mandir

Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray had previously criticised BJP government for their ambiguous stance on the construction of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

While addresing the party’s annual Dussehra rally at Shivaji Park in Mumbai, the Shiv Sena supremo had said that the BJP should clarify to the public whether the Ram Mandir promise is a “jumla”. He also added that the works on the construction of the temple will be carried out by his party if BJP fails to do so.

Thackeray will be visiting the Ayodhya site on 25 November.

However, clearing the air on BJP’s take on construction of Ram temple, Fadnavis said both BJP and the Sena support the construction of the temple, according to Hindustan Times.

“Thackeray’s focus on Hindutva can only bring us together.”

Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra

(With inputs from The Economic Times and Hindustan Times)