Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar on Thursday said his party is willing to join hands with the Shiv Sena to form government in Maharashtra if its "natural ally" comes up with a proposal in this regard.
In November last year, the Shiv Sena snapped ties with the BJP, its long-standing ally, and joined hands with the Congress and the NCP, its ideological opponents, to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Sena president Uddhav Thackeray is now chief minister of the MVA coalition.
Mungantiwar, who was finance minister in the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis cabinet, said if the Sena realises its "mistake" of walking out of the saffron alliance, the BJP is ready for a patch up.
"If tomorrow the Sena comes to us saying it was a 'mistake' to part ways and proposes to form government, the BJP will have no objection in accepting the Sena's proposal," he said and described the Thackeray-led party as the BJP's "natural ally".
"The BJP has no problem in forming government with any party that adopts the line of thinking of (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji to protect this country," Mungantiwar said.
"If the Sena comes with a proposal -- chalo der aaye, durust aaye... (better late than never) subhah ka bhoola sham ko laut aayaa...(one who realises his mistake) then the BJP will have no objection in accepting the Sena's proposal," he said.
Mungantiwar was speaking on the sidelines of an event in Nanded district of central Maharashtra.
The former state BJP president also took a dig at the Sena leadership for joining hands with the Congress.
"The Congress' support to the Sena for government formation is a wonder of 21st century. With it, Mumbai's once strong Matoshree (Thackeray's home in suburban Bandra) has now weakened, but Delhi-based Matoshree (a reference to interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi) has become stronger," he said.
"Both the parties -- the Sena and the Congress -- have different principles and stand on issues. They do not match at all. Congress leader Ashok Chavan has admitted both the parties came together on the demand of Muslims to keep the BJP away from power," said Mungantiwar.
Meanwhile, speaking in Aurangabad, Chavan, who is a minister in the Sena-led government, said Mungantiwar was "dreaming" and thinks he is still in government.
He was replaying to queries from reporters about Mungantiwar's comments on forming government with the Sena.
"Mungantiwar has a habit of dreaming. But our government is working smoothly," said Chavan, a former chief minister.
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