Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis Friday said “change” will happen in the state irrespective of whoever comes along with BJP, shortly after Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray announced his party will go solo in next month’s civic polls in Mumbai and other places.
“Power is not our ultimate goal but it’s a medium of development. We will take along those who come with us and leave aside those who don’t. Transparent administration is our agenda. Change will happen irrespective of those who come with us,” Fadnavis said in a statement.
While Sena is a junior alliance partner in the BJP-led NDA governments at Centre and in Maharashtra, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party is a ruling party in cash-rich Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, where it has been in power with the BJP for over two decades.
Reacting to the development, the BJP state unit president Raosaheb Danve said the state government will complete its full term as Thackeray has not said anything on Sena’s continuance in the state government.
“The government is strong and will last its full term,” he said.
On Thackeray’s decision that Sena will not forge alliance for upcoming civic elections, Danve said, “we were keen for an alliance for the civic polls on the agenda of corruption-free and transparent administration. We are confident that BJP will win all civic bodies on its own”.
Mumbai unit BJP chief Ashish Shelar said he would comment on the development only at the party’s “Vijay Sankalp” rally scheduled to be held at the same ground in suburban Goregaon where Sena’s rally was held today, on January 28.
Ten municipal corporations, including Mumbai, Pune and Nashik will go to polls on February 21.
PTI