BJP's alliance with Sena is emotional, that with NCP political: Devendra Fadnavis
Mumbai(PTI): Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the BJP has an emotional alliance with the Shiv Sena and a political one with the Nationalist Congress Party. The Bharatiya Janata Party can welcome whoever is willing to join it but the "Congress-like thinking" was unacceptable, he said.
The BJP leader was speaking at the `MahaVijay 2024' workshop of party workers organised at Bhiwandi as part of preparations for the next year's Lok Sabha elections.
"Our tie-up with the Shiv Sena led by chief minister Eknath Shinde is an emotional alliance. The BJP and Sena have been together for more than 25 years. Our alliance with the Ajit Pawar-led NCP is a political alliance," Fadnavis said.
"We may develop an emotional alliance with the NCP as well in the next 10-15 years," he added.
The Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena joined hands with the BJP last year to form a new government in Maharashtra, whereas an NCP rebel group led by Ajit Pawar joined the ruling alliance earlier this month.
Some people accused the BJP of being instrumental in breaking up the Shiv Sena and NCP, but it was the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena that "backstabbed" the BJP in 2019, Fadnavis said.
"We will welcome whoever wants to join the party, but there is no room for Congress-like thinking. Those who believe in appeasement will not be acceptable. AIMIM or Muslim League will have no place in the NDA," he said.
Fadnavis had formed a short-lived government with Ajit Pawar in 2019 after the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena severed its decades-old alliance with the BJP over the chief minister's post.
Making a reference to those developments, Fadnavis said, "There are some who are wondering what exactly we are doing and why we are doing it. The way you got the answers of 2019 in 2023, you will get to know all that happened in 2023 by 2026."
Uddhav Thackeray first insisted on the chief minister's post before the 2019 elections but later settled for an extra Lok Sabha seat, Fadnavis claimed.
"But after the results of the 2019 Assembly elections, he sensed the number game and joined hands with NCP and Congress. We were caught unawares....he started talking about sharing the CM's post," Fadnavis added.
During the meeting between senior BJP leader Amit Shah and Uddhav Thackeray, he "rehearsed" the press briefing in the presence of both of them in Marathi and Hindi, and even in the presence of Thackeray's wife, Fadnavis claimed.
"Amit Shah has told me during those discussions that one should be ready to face insults in politics, but never tolerate treachery," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Kolkata (PTI): Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
Brief Score:
KKR: 247 for 2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82 not out, Camero Green 52 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1/50).
GT: 218 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Sunil Narine 2/29).
