Alliance not at the cost of self-respect, says BJP president

With no clarity yet on seat sharing with old ally Shiv Sena, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Thursday told the alliance partner to find a quick resolution to the impasse while making it clear that there will be no compromise at the cost of self-respect.

Shah said the ‘Mahayuti’ (grand alliance) needs to stand strong and united to overthrow the 15-year-old Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government in Maharashtra, in the upcoming assembly elections.

“Friends, BJP government is going to be formed this time in Maharashtra,” Shah said, addressing a meeting of party workers at the airport, after flying in from Mumbai.

“In the flight today (from Mumbai to Kolhapur), I was telling the state BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis and Vinod Tawde to resolve the alliance issue quickly. They said they were trying their best but were not getting response (from Sena),” he said.

“I want to appeal to both the parties: BJP has taken two steps ahead, the other people (read Sena) should also move two steps forward and resolve the alliance issue and begin the movement for transformation of Maharashtra,” Shah said.

“But the BJP worker wants resolution (to the alliance seat sharing tangle) with self-respect. There cannot be resolution at the cost of self-respect,” he said.

“If the alliance is to be formed, I want to tell both the sides -- my party leaders are sitting here and also to Shiv Sena friends -- to find a resolution quickly, ensuring that self-respect of both (sides) is protected. This is very essential for transformation (of Maharashtra),” the BJP leader said.

Shah asked people to “uproot the scam-ridden Congress-NCP” government in Maharashtra to ensure the state’s return to pride and progress.

Congress and NCP have “destroyed” the state during their 15-year regime in the state, Shah said, adding, “If proper investigation is undertaken, all leaders in the state government will go to jail. NCP president Sharad Pawar commercialised politics like no other leader in the country. Ajit Pawar (deputy CM) was involved in scams. There were scams after scams in the state,” he alleged.

Shah, who arrived in Kolhapur on Thursday morning to a rousing welcome by party workers from Kolhapur and Sangli districts, interacted with them for a while before proceeding to seek blessings at the Karveer Nivasini Mahalaxmi temple here.

The BJP leader is scheduled to kick-start the state poll campaign in Pune on Thursday evening in a mega programme, which is likely to see huge participation from party workers and all assembly poll aspirants.