Under no pressure, let BJP approach us to form alliance: Uddhav plays cool

Mumbai: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in a press conference on Sunday said that the party would not approach anyone to form an alliance or extend support to any other party, referring to the BJP who was offered support by Sharad Pawar-led NCP earlier.

Thanking party workers and voters who supported the Shiv Sena, he said that him or the party would never abandon their ideology. When asked about an alliance with the BJP he said, “I’m not offering any support, but if someone approaches us we will consider.”

“It depends on the BJP. If they want to approach the NCP, let them do that,” he added.

Uddhav Thackeray says that he is thankful that the BJP has said that it would go with the Shiv Sena and not the NCP. “With the BJP it was a relationship and not just a tie-up,” he said.

Speaking from his residence Matoshree, Thackeray took a jibe at Narayan Rane who was routed in the polls. “All those who have hurt Balasaheb Thackeray have been defeated,” Thackeray said.

The Shiv Sena, which emerged as the second largest party in Maharashtra, said it was not under pressure to join a BJP-led government in the state after NCP extended “unconditional outside support” to the former ally.

“There is absolutely no pressure,” Sena spokesman and MP Sanjay Raut said when had asked if the party felt it was under pressure to join the government after NCP announced lending outside support to BJP. Raut said the party’s future role will be known soon.

“We had a meeting with Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray and our future role will be known soon. Is it necessary for it to become clear today itself?” he asked. Trying to make light of BJP’s impressive performance, the Sena leader said, “We did not have power, the machinery they had at their command. BJP’s central ministers, chief ministers campaigned. “Shiv Sena fought alone but fought well. We got a few seats less than BJP but our numbers also went up,” he said.

With inputs from PTI