Shiv Sena Breaks Up with BJP; to Fight 2019 Lok Sabha And Assembly Elections Alone, Aditya Thackeray Named Member of Party’s National Executive
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday moved a resolution saying that the decision of the party to go alone in 2019 was taken in the Party's national executive meet.
Mumbai, January 23: A long-time ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-- the Shiv Sena on Tuesday passed a resolution to go solo for the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly poll scheduled in Maharashtra in 2019. This means the party will not ally with the BJP for 2019 polls. Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Tuesday moved a resolution saying that the decision of the party to go alone in 2019 was taken in the Party's national executive meet. The decision comes on the birth anniversary of the founder of Shiv Sena, Bal Keshav Thackeray.
During the national executive meeting today at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, the Shiv Sena brought in a major organisational change as it readies for the national executive meet on Tuesday. Party chief Uddhav Thackeray’s son and present chief of party’s youth wing, Yuva Sena, Aaditya Thackeray Aditya Thackeray elevated as Shiv Sena's National Executive.
Party Chief Uddhav Thackeray during his address at the meeting said, "We will fight elections in every state for the cause of Hindutva , I take this vow today". He took a jibe at the BJP government at the Centre and said, "PM calls himself 'Pant Pradhan', all he does is travel abroad,he took Israeli PM to Ahmedabad,why not to Lal Chowk in Srinagar? Why couldn't he have done a roadshow in Srinagar? Had he hoisted tricolour in Lal chowk, we would have felt sense of pride towards our PM".
The Sena Chief added saying, "Nitin Gadkari came to Maharashtra and insulted the Navy which guards our borders here. People of armed forces are the ones with real 56 inch chest, how can you insult them?".
The Shiv Sena currently holds 18 seats in the current Lok Sabha. In December last year, Aaditya had announced that the Shiv Sena will go national. Uddhav, who is 57 became Sena president five years ago i.e. on January 23, 2013. To recall, Shiv Sena is the BJP's oldest partner but the two parties have been more like frenemies in the last few years. During the last Maharashtra election, the BJP pulled out of the alliance and emerged as the single largest party. However, both the parties joined hands and came together to form the government, with Devendra Fadnavis as Chief Minister.
During the meeting, another resolution that was passed at the meeting was to give complete loan waiver to farmers in Maharashtra as well as the implementation of recommendations by Swaminathan Commission for agrarian reforms. Shiv Sena is also believed to have passed important resolutions that highlight problems like inflation, national security, petrol rates etc.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 23, 2018 01:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).