PM confident of Fadnavis taming Shiv Sena

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has got strong backing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a message that he should be firm in dealing with the Shiv Sena, but without triggering its exit.

“My government will last its full five year term and we do not need the support of NCP as the Shiv Sena will not walk out of the government,” Fadnavis said when asked about the recent spat with the junior ally over cancellation of the concert of Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali and attack on BJP patriarch L K Advani’s aide Sudheendra Kulkarni.

The Shiv Sena had also ribbed Modi saying it respected him for the Godhra riots of 2002, a taint Modi has tried hard to get rid of.

“The problem with the Shiv Sena has to do more with its internal bickering than with the BJP. We have cordial relations with Sena ministers and a good example of the cordiality is important Cabinet decisions that were taken only a couple of days back,” Fadnavis said.
Modi appears to have complete trust in Fadnavis and his handling of relations with the Shiv Sena.

“Modi is not bothered about such small things,” Fadnavis told Deccan Herald when asked whether the prime minister had sought any update from him on the recent spat with the Shiv Sena.

He indicated that Modi had asked him to deal with the Shiv Sena at the state level and not bother the central BJP leadership on alliance related issues.

“Sena leaders Subhash Desai and Anil Desai have regular meetings with state BJP president Raosaheb Patil Danve and I meet Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray whenever necessary,” Fadnavis said.

The BJP-Shiv Sena government completes one year in office this month, and Fadnavis has dangled the carrot of cabinet expansion to keep the ally in control.