Congress-BJP tie-up in Gondia a miracle: Sena

Mumbai, July 17
The Shiv Sena on Friday dubbed the decision of the BJP and the Congress to jointly take power in Maharashtra's Gondia Zilla Parishad as a "miracle" that will affect state politics.

After the arch rivals embraced each other following a hung verdict, the Sena's ire was directed chiefly at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which rules Maharashtra in alliance with the Sena.

"You can never predict who will join hands with who in politics," said an editorial in the Sena's mouthpiece "Saamna".

"Friends of 25 years become enemies while sworn rivals from birth suddenly become friends. All this is a miracle of power, and even the great magician P.C. Sorcar cannot create such magic," it said.

The Sena said it was the Congress which levelled corruption charges against the BJP.

And poking fun at the BJP, the editorial said that taking a decision of "this magnitude" needed "a lot of strength and courage" which its ally had shown.

"We have no doubts now that with such a daring party ruling the state, the problems of farmers, labourers and unemployed shall be solved in a jiffy."

Though the recent results of the Gondia and Bhandara Zilla Parishads were "unfortunate", the Sena said it had advised its activists against joining hands with the Congress or NCP as it could invite public wrath.

"The BJP may plead political expediency or helplessness with this tie-up. Tomorrow, in a similar situation, should we sprinkle Ganga water at Pakistan's feet?" the editorial wondered.

It urged the BJP not to make entire Vidarbha become another Gondia-Bhandara as it would be betraying the trust of the people of the region.

In the 53-member Gondia Parishad, the Nationalist Congress Party bagged 20 seats, the Congress 16 and the BJP 17.

Cobbling up a quick post-poll alliance, the Congress and the BJP have bagged the two top posts of Zilla Parishad president and vice-president, leaving the NCP out in the cold.

In neigbhouring Bhandara, however, the Congress and the NCP have entered into an alliance.

Maharashtra Congress president Ashok Chavan has termed the development as "purely local" and has sought a report on the Gondia alliance from the party unit in Gondia.