Saamana Mocks Shinde's Delhi Drama: Why BJP Alliance Shows Cracks

In a scathing editorial, the Thackeray camp -- via the party mouthpiece Saamana -- called the purported exchange between Shah and Shinde "entertaining" and said the "displeasure drama" unfolding in Maharashtra should not be taken seriously.

According to the editorial, Shinde's frequent trips to Delhi "no longer hold any significance."

"The BJP's fundamental nature is 'use, discard, or swallow and finish off.' When Shinde and his 40 MLAs defected, the BJP created an illusion that Shinde was a strong and great leader. They handed over the bow-and-arrow symbol of Shiv Sena to Shinde. This made Shinde strut around as if he were the Shiv Sena supremo. Now that the BJP has started showing its true colours, the Shinde faction is in complete panic," it claimed.

Referring to Union Home Minister Amit Shah as Shinde's "party chief", Thackeray camp said that DCM complained about Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and BJP State President Ravindra Chavan, saying, 'These people are breaking our party. Chavan is buying our office-bearers using money. We will not tolerate this.' Amit Shah reportedly burst out laughing at Shinde's complaint, the Saamana said.

"When Shinde asked, 'Sir, why are you laughing?' Shah reportedly replied, 'Who is breaking whose party? Your party was essentially created through defections engineered by us -- the BJP. You defected. We recognized it as a party, which is why you're using terms like 'party.' Whatever party you have is a sub-branch of the BJP. Understand the chronology. You are an expert at poaching people by distributing money. If Chavan is doing the same, don't feel bad. Go back to Mumbai and have tea with him. Don't come to Delhi with useless complaints," said the Thackeray camp.

The editorial said Shinde's claim that the visit was "successful" and that Shah had assured him dignity was "a bluff." It added that in the ongoing local body elections, the BJP had poached several of Shinde's men -- an act it termed "unbecoming of alliance politics."

"Shinde and his people are worried that if the BJP continues this way, their party won't survive. Ravindra Chavan is from Thane district. So it's a case of 'local thorns for local feet.' Since becoming the BJP state president, Chavan has been weakening Shinde's group in Thane district. Many people whom Shinde bought for five to twenty-five lakhs have been purchased wholesale by Chavan. Essentially, Chavan has adopted Shinde's own methods," it added.

It also referred to the alleged assault on Shinde's workers by BJP office-bearers in Thane on Thursday. "'If you mess with us, we'll beat you like this' -- this warning from Chavan's people has reportedly sent Shinde's Thane group into the intensive care unit," it said.

The editorial concludes that Shinde's current discontent stems from the BJP using against him the very tactics he once used to split the undivided Shiv Sena -- portraying Shinde and his faction as weak and entirely dependent on the BJP's whims.

- IANS