Sena considered dumping BJP in 2014: Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan

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Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, January 20

The Shiv Sena was left red-faced after former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan told a news agency that the Thackerays had mulled joining hands with the Congress party and the Nationlist Congress Party to keep the BJP out of office after the 2014 assembly elections in the state.

Chavan, who was the outgoing chief minister at that time, said he rejected the Shiv Sena’s proposal. The Nationalist Congress Party had offered support to the BJP under Devendra Fadnavis at that time forcing the Shiv Sena to play second fiddle to the national party.

The revelations however have stirred up a storm, with the Shiv Sena denying that it had suggested a three-way coalition in 2014.

“I do not know of any proposal made to the Congress in 2014. Chavan should come out with the name of the Shiv Sena leader who approached him for a tie-up with the Congress and the NCP,” Minister for Transport and Parliamentary Affairs Anil Parab told reporters here.

The NCP too denied that it was in the loop about forming a three-party coalition five years ago.

“The Congress may have had some discussions with the Shiv Sena, but no proposal was brought to the NCP. No such proposal was discussed by us,” NCP leader and state minister Nawab Malik told reporters here.

Reacting to Chavan’s statement, former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Shiv Sena’s greed for power stood exposed.

“Since a leader like Prithviraj Chavan has said so, his statement should be taken seriously. It shows the real character of the Shiv Sena. It does not believe in any ideology . Is power everything for them,” Fadnavis asked.

According to Chavan, the Congress party leadership was not keen on an alliance with the Shiv Sena even in 2019. But party chief Sonia Gandhi agreed for the tie-up since the BJP under Devendra Fadnavis was out to “kill the opposition”.