Maharashtra BJP Chief says BJP to go solo in elections amid CM's 'future friends' comment

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday has revealed that the saffron party will contest all upcoming elections in the state without any alliance. The big statement from Patil comes months ahead of the upcoming Mumbai civic polls, likely to be held in February 2022. The Maharashtra BJP chief was talking to reporters after inducting former Parbhani district head of the NCP Vijay Varpudkar into the party.

Chandrakant Patil also exuded confidence that with Varpudkar joining the BJP, the party will win the upcoming polls in the district. He added that the BJP ceded control of the Parbhani district to the Shiv Sena due to its alliance in the past. He also asserted that BJP workers should know that the party will come to power on its own without forging any alliance. 

"We ceded control of most of the Parbhani district to the Shiv Sena because we had an alliance with it in the past.  But with Varpudkar and his followers joining us now, the BJP has received more strength. The party will win upcoming polls in the district," Patil said.

BJP workers should not forget that we are going to come to power on our own. We need to work hard and there is no need to join hands and get cheated in the polls. From now onwards, we would not have any alliance. We will contest elections on our own," the Maharashtra BJP chief added 

Maharastra CM Uddhav Thackeray calls BJP 'future friend'; hints at possible alliance

Earlier in September, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray made a 'former friend, future friend' comment with regards to the BJP. Thackeray was talking about BJP leader Raosaheb Danve and said 'my former friend-and if we come together again, then future friend', thereby indicating the possibility of an alliance between the Shiv Sena and the BJP again. 

However, Sena later clarified and said that the statement was 'nothing but a joke'. However, former Maharashtra CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis reacted to the statement. The leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly said that 'he has realised that he is on the wrong side'. Even so, Fadnavis maintained that the BJP was focussing on its duty as the opposition in the state for its betterment. He also added that the party is not thinking about elections as of now. 

BJP-Sena end alliance 

The BJP and the Shiv Sena were staunch allies for over 30 years in Maharashtra. However, after the alliance won the 2019 state elections, Shiv Sena said that it will only accept the 50:50 power-sharing agreement. On the other hand, the BJP claimed that it never agreed to such a formula. It allegedly offered 13 cabinet portfolios to Sena while keeping 26 for its ministers. The Sena also demanded that the CM post should be shared by the two parties for 2.5 years each. However, Devendra Fadnavis refused and said that the next government will be formed under the BJP. 

The situation further escalated and led to the forming of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)  alliance after the Shiv Sena joined hands with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress. Amid this, Fadnavis had unsuccessfully partnered with NCP leader Ajit Pawar to be sworn in as Maharashtra CM for mere 72 hours. However, Pawar rescinded his support after the Supreme Court ordered an open ballot floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly immediately, leading to Fadnavis and Pawar's resignation. Therefore, this led to the MVA coming to power with Uddhav Thackeray sworn in as the chief minister of Maharashtra on November 28, 2019. 

With PTI inputs