File photo of Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray
In the middle of tense talks over seat-sharing for the October 15 Maharashtra polls, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has delivered a sharp warning to long-time ally BJP, saying - "Excessive lust leads to divorce."
In an editorial in the Sena mouthpiece Saamna today, Mr Thackeray said allies in a coalition must dream of a victory. "For this, all parties must give up the lust for more seats. To say we will stay in the coalition only if we get 'so many seats' is not right," he said.
"Remember, excessive lust leads to divorce. We all want a change of regime. Even if someone has got fewer seats to contest, then too, they will get a proper share in government. But for that, one needs to come to power first," he added.
After scoring a big victory in Maharashtra in the national election, the two parties have been wrangling over a pact for the state polls next month. The BJP wants to contest a greater share of the state's 288 seats, crediting the May election verdict to a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also wants the Sena to accommodate other allies from its share of seats.
The BJP's refusal to compromise telegraphs the party's worry that conceding the Sena's demands could mean giving up its claim on the Chief Minister's post.
BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had said yesterday that an announcement on the seat sharing arrangement will be made soon. "Announcement on seat sharing always happens after election result is announced. When our list is out you'll see how many seats we're contesting. There are always re-negotiations."
The results of the Maharashtra polls will be announced on October 19.
In the national election, the BJP won 23 of the state's 48 seats. The Sena won 18.
The Congress-NCP alliance, which has governed Maharashtra since 1999, won only six seats.