No major breakthrough has been achieved in the first Sena-BJP coordination committee meeting.
Even though the Shiv Sena is in alliance with the BJP in Maharashtra but relation between both the parties have strained due to lack of consensus over several issues. Sena has been expressing its displeasure in its mouthpiece Saamna by criticising BJP for sidelining it. BJP had asked Sena to refrain from voicing its opinion through media and instead opt for a dialogue for resolving issues. For this purpose a coordination committee has been formed for the smooth functioning of the coalition. The first meeting of the coordination committee had taken place yesterday but no major breakthrough has been achieved. Therefore the next meeting is scheduled to happen between Maharashtra BJP Chief Raosaheb Danve and Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree on March, 4 2015. Sena has been criticising BJP for failing to deliver the promises made by it.
The previous Sena-BJP government of 1995-1999 too had a coordination committee, which consisted of the late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and the late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan.
Sena had targeted Bharatiya Janata Party over the Land Acquisition Amendment Bill. The Sena has been continuously targeting the Devendra Fadnavis government, the most recently over the killing of communist leader Govind Pansare. Earlier, Sena had mocked the Narendra Modi wave following the BJP’s rout in Delhi Assembly elections. There also has been a war of words between Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse and his junior minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Rathod over allocation of work.
Shiv Sena sources have said that the party’s reservations on the proposed land amendment bill were conveyed to the government and party wants government to consider rights of the poor. Apart from the political parties the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has also conveyed its reservations on the bill.
Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena said on protest against the Land Bill, “This is not a political protest. All parties should go, even the BJP leaders must go.”
Raju Shetti, Lok Sabha MP from NDA ally Swabhimani Paksha, too opposed the Bill. He said, “Though we are in alliance with the NDA, still I strongly oppose the Bill.”
Meanwhile, the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha amidst ruckus. The Congress staged walkout from Lok Sabha over the Bill.
Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav declared that his party will protest against the Bill and said the government is not taking the Opposition on board on the issue.
