Uddhav Thackeray hints at ditching BJP-led Maharashtra govt

However, CM Fadnavis says no threat to state government, it will last full tenure

Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday indicated that his party may walk out of the government in Maharashtra due to strong differences with BJP. "There are matbhed and manbhed too (disagreement)," Uddhav said but declined to divulge further details. Uddhav's comment comes a day after party spokesman Sanjay Raut at an election rally said that the state government is on notice period and that after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Shiv Sena may withdraw support.

Uddhav went on to add that the BJP broke its alliance with the Shiv Sena in the 2014 state assembly polls and now his party has severed ties in the BMC poll. "There is no fun in continuing if both the parties are not getting along. There is a need to put a full stop to such politics," he said.

Shiv Sena, which had won 63 seats, had joined the BJP-led government in December 2014. The party has 10 ministers in the state cabinet.

However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was quick to clarify that the state government will complete the full term and there is no threat to it. Fadnavis also took a swipe against Raut saying, "The person who has made such a comment has no place in his own party. And we also don't give it much importance. However, I can state with certainty that our government will last the full tenure."

Shiv Sena and the BJP are separately contesting the election to the 227-member BMC, which has an annual budget of Rs 37,500 crore, making it one of the richest municipal corporations in the world. Both parties have ruled the civic body since 1997 but parted ways following lack of understanding over seat sharing. BMC has been Shiv Sena's oxygen tank and the party was reluctant to relinquish its big brother role in  favour of the BJP, which is why it offered the BJP only 60 seats. On the other hand, BJP, which has won three Lok Sabha seats and 15 assembly seats in Greater Mumbai, was firm on its stand to contest 114 seats and pressed for transparency in BMC's administration.

Since the divorce between two saffron allies, both are firing salvos at each other in the poll campaign. Uddhav has been Shiv Sena's star campaigner and will address at least 20 poll rallies in Mumbai. Uddhav alleged that there was a fear among many that Fadnavis had become the Chief Minister of goons, adding that the BJP had gone on a spree to absorb people with criminal antecedents into the party.

On his part, Fadnavis claimed that Sena was into extortion, calling Uddhav "Duryodhana". He also alleged that the Sena was not keen to bring transparency into the functioning of urban local bodies such as the BMC.

The verbal duel is expected to continue until the poll campaign ends on February 19 as the polling is slated for February 21.

BJP on Tuesday released its poll manifesto on a symbolic stamp paper assuring transparent and pro-growth administration of BMC. The party proposes to bring in a right to municipal service law, no road tax until all roads are made pothole free among various promises. Shiv Sena in its manifesto gave promises related to roads, health, open spaces, solid waste and a number of freebies.

Meanwhile, the BJP has roped in six central ministers — Nitin Gadkari, Prakash Javadekar, Hansraj Ahir, Piyush Goyal, Smriti Irani and Subhash Bhamre — as star campaigners for the polls to BMC and nine other civic bodies. Additionally, the party has organised rallies of party MP Hema Malini across Maharashtra.