Eyeing the Assembly elections, the BJP and the Shiv Sena have entered into a temporary truce. Sena leader Anant Geete took charge of the Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Ministry on Wednesday.
Though both the parties claimed that differences over portfolio allocation were resolved, there are indications that the tug of war will continue till the Assembly elections. During the previous BJP-Shiv Sena regime, the post of Chief Minister remained with the Shiv Sena. This time, the BJP is actively trying to wrest the position, while the Sena is pre-empting this move. Senior BJP leaders Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari are reportedly eyeing the Chief Minister’s chair. The BJP has won 23 seats and the Shiv Sena 18 in the recent general elections.
Talking to reporters after taking charge, Geete said his party’s chief Uddhav Thackeray and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had satisfactory talks regarding the portfolio allocation. Geete claimed that his party will get an important ministry after the next reshuffle.
He said the reports that he was unhappy with the portfolio were false. “However, since the party I come from, Shiv Sena, is connected to the people, party chief Uddhav Thackeray expected me to be given a ministry which is connected to the people,” he said. “Our discussions have been satisfactory. In the future whenever there is a Cabinet reshuffle Shiv Sena will be given a good ministry,” he added.
During the campaign itself, the BJP had annoyed the Shiv Sena leadership by initiating dialogues with the Maharashtra Navanirman Sena, led by Raj Thackeray. The MNS had supported Modi for the post of Prime Minister. It did not put up candidates against some BJP leaders, while it fought against all 20 candidates of the Shiv Sena.