The alliance between Sena and BJP in Maharashtra hit the customary roadblocks with BJP leaders agitated over Sena getting the Kalyan (West) seat, while Sena workers fulminated over the Thane seat.
A host of BJP workers resigned after Sena got the Kalyan (West) seat. They submitted their resignation to the regional committee on October 1.According to a report in The Indian Express, a letter was written by Kalyan BJP chief Premnath Mhatre who said the resignations were due to the seat going to Sena. The letter claimed they had suffered injustice. A worker wondered: “For years, we have won this seat, the public knows and trusts us. Why should we give up the seat?”
The letter was signed by MLA Narendra Pawar and 10 others, including Kalyan zilla chief Mahesh Joshi and leaders like Rajabhau Patkar, Chandrashekhar Tambde and several local corporators and workers.
Sources claimed that Sena an BJP had exchanged the Kalyan (West) and Belapur seats. It’s believed Sena will pick the Kalyan seat for Prakash Patil, who is from Bhiwandi. Meanwhile, a Sena leader weighed in: “Kalyan (West) has always been faithful to the Sena. However, we will not support an outsider (Patil). If the seat has come to us, one of us should get the chance to fight for it.”
The shoe is on the other foot in Thane where Sena leaders are contemplating resigning as the seat has gone to BJP.“We had requested the senior leaders to keep our hard work in mind, but it seems that we have been ignored. The region is a Sena stronghold and we have shown that during the Lok Sabha elections,” a Sena leader said.
