Tags:
Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, February 10: An uneasy calm prevails in the Shiv Sena over the unexpected entry of known anti-Sena activists into its electoral partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the eve of the ensuing parliamentary elections.
Shiv Sena is more upset with the entry of Samajwadi Party leader Rajaram Salvi and former Congress legislator Dina Bama Patil and his son Sanjay.“I do not want to comment on the internal affairs of the BJP. However, it is true that both Salvi and Dina Bama Patil were in the forefront to halt the steady progress of our party,” Shiv Sena spokesman Subhash Desai said. He added, “More important leaders from Western Maharashtra have joined Sena on the eve of mid-term polls.”
Desai said that sugar baron Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, Nivedita Mane, Vikramsinh Ghatge, Shahu Maharaj and Hind Kesri Maruti Mane had joined the Sena. “The candidature of Ghatge from Kolhapur and Nivedita Mane from Ichalkaranji will certainly help us to improve our position in Western Maharashtra,” heremarked.
BJP spokesman Prakash Jawdekar said they joined the BJP by choice. “Since they were frustrated, they had a choice to join either the BJP or the Shiv Sena. Though they joined our party, it does not mean that they are against Shiv Sena. Apparently, they felt BJP is more influential, hence they joined our organisation,” Jawdekar pointed out.
Salvi, a known opponent of Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, established Agri Sena in Thane-Kalyan-Navi Mumbai belt to counter Sena influence there. Although he succeeded, he could not make a breakthrough in electoral politics as he was unable to make an entry into the Lok Sabha.
Later, he joined the Bahujan Samajwadi Party, but left it to defect to the Samajwadi Party headed by Mulayam Singh. Before joining BJP, Salvi, as a leader of Samajwadi Party, had blasted Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and his family members by name.
Dina Bama Patil’s case was identical. Though he did not quit the Congress, he established himself as a strong opponent of Shiv Sena in theBhandup-Kanjur Marg-Mulund area. A senior Sena MP said admitting politicians or engineering defections is the prerogative of a party, but the style adopted by BJP is shocking. “Before admitting Salvi and Patil, BJP leaders should have consulted us or at least informally informed us,” the MP said. The tussle between BJP and Shiv Sena to rope in disgruntled Congress leaders began after Radha Krishna Vikhe Patil, a Congress leader from Ahmednagar, was inducted into the Cabinet as a Sena nominee. BJP tried to seek the support of his father, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil Ultimately, he joined the Shiv Sena.
BJP tried to woo Nivedita Mane, whose father-in-law was a Congress MP from Ichalkaranji for three consecutive terms. Initially, she expected Congress to nominate her. When she was denied nomination, senior BJP leaders urged her to contest from Ichalkaranji as a BJP nominee. To BJP’s displeasure, Nivedita met Bal Thackeray, who announced her candidature as a Sena nominee from Ichalkaranji.
