BJP Foundation Day: Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis woo Shiv Sena as Uddhav Thackeray threatens to split

Mumbai: In an attempt to keep its alliance partner Shiv Sena in good humour, BJP president Amit Shah on Friday hoped that the party continues to remain part of the NDA. “It’s our heartiest wish that Shiv Sena stays together with us. Shiv Sena is part of NDA at the Centre and the Devendra Fadnavis government Maharashtra as well,” he said while addressing a press conference hours after the mega rally on the occasion of BJP’s 38th Foundation Day at the Bandra-Kurla Complex in Mumbai. [caption id=“attachment_4421225” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Mumbai BJP president Ashish Shelar, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP president Amit Shah at the BJP Foundation Day celebrations in Mumbai. Sachin Gokhale/Firstpost[/caption] Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray had already announced that his party will fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections alone. With Shah seeking to woo the Shiv Sena, it may be assumed that the BJP needs Shiv Sena in the coming General Elections which are scheduled to take place in the earlier half of 2019. Shah exuded confidence that his party would continue to remain in power after the Lok Sabha elections next year. “We will retain power in 2019 at the Center and as well as in Maharashtra later. The BJP-led NDA government will come to power with a bigger majority and the Narendra Modi wave will be seen once again in 2019,” he said. Shah said that the NDA has gained more alliance partners since 2014. The BJP president, however, denied any rift within the party. “The Opposition has created an environment by spreading lies that we are against SC/ST, tribals and backward class. That’s why on 14 April on the occasion of BR Ambedkar’s birthday the party cadres will visit 20,000 villages across the country and will spend the day with the residents there,” Shah said. The BJP president was not alone who tried to be in the good books of the Shiv Sena. Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also did his bit to restore the almost acrimonious relationship between the two parties to normalcy. The chief minister recalled the contribution made by Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray towards Hindutva while paying homage to BJP leaders who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the party. Although both the parties share the burden of governance both at the Centre and in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena’s decision to fight the forthcoming Lok Sabha alone has sent some chill down the BJP spine.