New Delhi: Late on Sunday evening, BJP president Amit Shah spoke to Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, triggering speculation that the one-time allies might reunite.
While sources said the Sena might be eyeing the post of deputy CM in the event of a post-poll alliance, the BJP, firmly ensconced in the driver’s seat in Maharashtra, took stock of the situation at its parliamentary board meeting here.
It also discussed on the possible CM candidates for the two states. Union home minister Rajnath Singh will leave for Maharashtra on Monday, while parliamentary affairs minister M. Venkaiah Naidu will go to Haryana, to oversee the choice of the legislature parties.
BJP brahmin leader Devendra Fadnavis, an RSS man from Nagpur, is emerging as the frontrunner for CM in Maharashtra, while the names of Capt. Abhimanyu, Manohar Lal Khattar, Anil Vig and Ram Bilas Sharma are doing the rounds as possible Haryana CM.
This was, incidentally, Mr Modi’s biggest popularity test after he took charge of the country four months back.
Questions were being raised about Mr Modi’s charisma and credibility after the BJP’s dismal performance in the byelections in Bihar, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
“Those, who were saying the Modi wave was over after the bypoll results, have been given a befitting reply,” Mr Shah said.
Mr Modi described the victory as “historic results”, he “saluted karyakartas” and “expressed gratitude” to the people.
No single outfit had managed to cross the 100-mark in Maharashtra since 1990.
