 "Post Munde, Maharashtra BJP under pressure")
Following the untimely exit of BJP's tallest Maharashtra leader with a mass appeal, Gopinath Munde, the party may face pressure from the leaders and rank and file to break its 25 year old poll alliance with Shiv Sena and go solo in the coming elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assmebly slated for September-October. This is to achieve Shat Pratishat (100%) BJP rule riding high on Modi wave and cashing on the sterling performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. BJP thanks to Munde's alliance politics won 23 of the 24 seats it contested while its poll partner Shiv Sena bagged 18.
Munde, who was the front runner for BJP's chief ministerial candidate, had already discussed the assembly poll strategy last week. He had clearly indicated that BJP's alliance with Shiv Sena, Republican Party of India, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and Rashtriya Samaj Party will further be strengthened but not compromising party's interests. Further, Munde had also indicated that he will do hard bargaining especially with Shiv Sena to change the 172:117 seat sharing formula considering BJP's increased strength.
BJP's move to send Amit Shah, who rejuvenated party's unit in Uttar Pradesh to win 71 Lok Sabha seats, may give boost to those in favour of fighting assembly elections on its own. The void created by sudden demise of Munde may lead to a leadership crisis but Shah playing a key role in poll management may limit the damage. The party insiders admit that there is no leader of Munde's stature who could further consolidate party's position across caste combinations. Incidentally, party leaders Nitin Gadkari, Devendra Fadnavis and Vinod Tawde may have work together to provide collective leadership to ensure repeat of Lok Sabha elections in the state.
BJP general secretary, who did not want to be identified, told Business Standard ''A large section of the BJP want that party should go alone while few are of the view that it should press for 155:133 or 165:123 formula. BJP's chief minister should be party's aim for assembly poll. In any case BJP should get lion's share.'' He went on to add that this is quite essential when Shiv Sena is not ready to leave its big brother role and on top of it the party has announced that its president Uddhav Thackeray will be its chief minister after assembly elections.
On the other hand, a section of BJP has argued that union minister for surface transport and shipping Nitin Gadkari should take a lead role to explore option of poll tie up with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena who had failed to open its account in the general elections. It was following Gadkari's request MNS chief Raj Thackeray extended his party's support to Narendra Modi as prime minister but declined Gadkari's proposal to abstain from the general elections. ''Raj is tamed due to poll debacle but he has his clout in youths in particular across the state. BJP can reach poll understanding with MNS. However, Narendra Modi will have a final say,'' BJP's former minister said.