‘Anything can happen in politics’: MNS leader on post-poll Shinde Sena alliance
New post-poll realignment in Kalyan-Dombivli reshapes civic equations as Shiv Sena (UBT) distances itself from the tie-up and Sanjay Raut rules out any alliance with Eknath Shinde
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Bala Nandgaonkar on Thursday (January 22) said that “anything can happen in politics,” a remark that came a day after his party joined hands with the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) following the civic polls.
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The MNS, however, got the benefit of doubt from its civic poll ally Shiv Sena (UBT) with its Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut claiming the move in KDMC was not acceptable to Raj Thackeray. Raut went to add a twist to the politics of strange bedfellows underway by claiming his party could contemplate going with the BJP in case of “extreme instability” but never with Shinde.
New alliance reshapes KDMC
A new political equation emerged in KDMC in neighbouring Thane district on Wednesday as five corporators of Raj Thackeray-led MNS offered support to Shinde's Shiv Sena, which is in alliance with BJP. The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS fought the civic polls in alliance.
In the January 15 polls, the Shiv Sena won 53 seats in the Kalyan-Dombivli civic body, followed by the BJP with 50, Shiv Sena (UBT) with 11, the Congress with two, the MNS with five, and the NCP (SP) with one. Though the BJP and the Shinde Sena contested the polls together, political observers feel that the Sena might be exploring the option to have its own mayor after the BJP demanded two-and-a-half-year term.
Nandgoankar said Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray are both seasoned politicians and don't need to be told what needs to be done. When asked whether what happened in Kalyan-Dombivli could be repeated in Mumbai, Nandgaonkar said, “It would not be appropriate to comment on it. Anything can happen at any time in politics. Just as the BJP and the Congress have come together in Chandrapur, and Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena (UBT) in Konkan, similar alignments can happen.”
On the Shiv Sena–MNS tie-up in Kalyan-Dombivli, Nandgaonkar said, “We had authorised the local leadership to take decisions, and it was done accordingly.” He, however, added that the party is contemplating action against the local leadership over the tie-up with the Eknath Shinde-led outfit.
Raut clarifies party stand
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, meanwhile, asserted what happened in Kalyan-Dombivli is not MNS' stand and it was also not acceptable to Raj Thackeray.
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“If your (MNS) local leadership wanted to have such an alliance, then you (local leadership) should not have forged a tie-up with Shiv Sena (UBT) in Kalyan-Dombivli,” Raut said.
On reports that Shiv Sena approached his party for an alliance, Raut further said, “We can go with the BJP in some place where there is extreme instability but will never go with Shinde. If there are other options, then the party chief will take a call.”
Raut said Uddhav had all the information about what was happening in Kalyan. “He (Uddhav) also told me about it. He is also aware of what is happening now,” he said.
(With agency inputs)