Presidential poll: Shiv Sena blatantly defying BJP with support to Pranab Mukherjee

Mumbai - A gleeful announcement by the Shiv Sena in party's mouthpiece "Saamana" claiming that UPA's Presidential candidate Pranab Mukherjee will soon come to Mumbai specially to thank Sena Chief Bal Thackeray for his support in the Presidential election, has once again embarrassed the BJP.

Despite being the oldest ally of the BJP in NDA alliance, Shiv Sena is now seen blatantly defying BJP and straining the relations within the coalition.

Shiv Sena has been part of the BJP led NDA alliance since it was formed. But Sena's sudden announcement of supporting UPA's Pranab Mukherjee instead of NDA's candidate in the Presidential polls stunned many.

The two partners have also shared uneasy relationship in recently held local civic body polls. Though leaders of these parties claim that all is well, many political observers feel Shiv Sena-BJP relations currently are at the lowest ever in history.

UPA decided on Thursday to officially not include Shiv Sena's name among the list of supporters in Pranab Mukherjee's nomination papers. Asked about this development BJP's State President Sudhir Mungantiwar reacted sharply saying "We hope Shiv Sena realizes that they committed a mistake by announcing support to the UPA. We hope they reconsider this decision."

In many municipal corporation in Maharashtra the Sena and BJP have chosen to go with other political partners instead of staying with each other. In places like Nagpur where the BJP has a stronghold, the party has decided to hold the power in the civic body alone instead of sharing it with the Sena. To add to this now the debate over Sena backing UPA in Presidential election has made matters worse for the NDA partners.

Playing down the tension, BJP state spokesperson Atul Bhatkhalkar said "There have always been ups and downs in the BJP-Sena relations. But both sides have made it clear that despite Shiv Sena's support to UPA's Presidential candidate, Sena will remain a part of NDA in the future".

Political analyst Kumar Ketkar feels there is a lot of tension between Sena and BJP but they have to tolerate each other. "The tension between Shiv Sena and BJP is derived out of the big difference between both party's mass base and cultural roots. BJP has a traditional mass base in the urban middle class while Shiv Sena's base comes from elements that are considered lumpen elements. There are clashes at various levels.

In Maharashtra both the political alliances (Sena-BJP as well as Congress-NCP) are strained but BJP knows that they cannot survive without the Sena even though at times it seems that Sena-BJP alliance is an unworkable social combination." said Mr. Ketkar.