Shiv Sena threatens to quit Fadnavis govt, won't take rap for rising prices

Trouble for BJP in Gujarat too, as rebel JD (U) tries to work out a Cong-led alliance in the state

Shiv Sena on Monday said it would soon take a decision about its continuity in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Maharashtra. 

Sena’s Lok Sabha member Sanjay Raut pointed to continued farm distress and steep petrol and diesel prices as reasons for his party’s “imminent” withdrawal from the Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

“Petrol and diesel prices have surged, poor are going through a tough time. The plea for farmers' loan waivers has also been ignored. Time has come for Shiv Sena to decide on its alliance with BJP government in Maharashtra. What should we do with the government? Yes! Shiv Sena will soon take a decision. Wait and watch,” Raut said in a series of tweets.

The Sena MP, who is also the editor of its mouthpiece ‘Saamna’, said all Sena Members of Parliament and legislators are with party chief Uddhav Thackeray on the issue. He said a decision could be taken as early as next week. Party sources said the snapping of ties could take place on Dussehra. 

Earlier this month, Raut had written in Saamna how the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party was getting closer to BJP and had even been offered a cabinet berth at the Centre. Rubbishing these claims, NCP offered unconditional support to BJP when it had fallen short of the simple majority mark after the Mahrashtra assembly polls in 2014.

Sena parted ways with the BJP on the first day of the ‘Navaratra’ in 2014, but had joined the BJP-led government, 40-days later. Currently, it has five cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state in the Fadnavis government. Anant Geete, a Sena MP, is the cabinet minister for heavy industries and public enterprises at the Centre. Shiv Sena has 18 MPs in the Lok Sabha and three in the Rajya Sabha.

However, it is difficult to predict if the Sena would walk the talk on this occasion. In February, Raut threatened that his party would quit the alliance, repeating this up until the civic elections in Mumbai.

Raut said the price rise was hurting the poor, farmers’ loan issues remained unresolved and farmer suicides were continuing. “Although we are part of the government, we are not responsible and don't want to share the blame," Raut said on Twitter.

Another BJP ally quit the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) last month. On August 30, Swabhimani Shetkari Sangathana chief Raju Shetti announced his exit from the NDA. Shetti is the lone Lok Sabha member from his party.

Shetti has been a key leader of the farmers’ protests in Maharashtra, and elsewhere in the country. He said that he quit NDA because the Narendra Modi-led government failed to fulfill its promises made to farmers in its 2014 Lok Sabha manifesto. BJP had promised to implement the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission report on production cost plus one and a half times income to farmers.

In another development, a Congress-led alliance to fight the Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujara is in the offing. Chhotubhai Vasava, the acting president of the Sharad Yadav-led rebel Janata Dal (United) faction, said an alliance comprising the Congress, the Left parties, his group and even Hardik Patel-led Patidar organisations was being worked out. The vote of the six-time legislator was key to Congress leader Ahmed Patel winning his Rajya Sabha seat in August. Sources said Yadav and Vasava had talked to Ahmed Patel.

At a press conference in New Delhi, Vasava said demonetisation and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) have "destroyed" the economy. He said the Sardar Sarovar Dam inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday would not be of much help to the common man.