New Delhi, Jun 6: As the Bharatiya Janata Party’s strength in Lok Sabha reduced to alarming level after a string of bypoll defeats, a worried Amit Shah has initiated measures to strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of 2019 general polls.
Shah on Wednesday headed to Mumbai to meet Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray in Mumbai on Wednesday and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Parkash Singh Badal in Chandigarh on Thursday.
The meetings follow a similar one-on-one with Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) chief Ram Vilas Paswan in New Delhi on Sunday.
NDA allies have been miffed at the BJP for a while, with the Shiv Sena making public its intention of going it alone in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The party also fielded a candidate against the BJP in the recent Palghar byelection in Maharashtra.
Sena leader Sanjay Rout confirmed that Mr. Shah had sought an appointment from Mr. Thackeray and the meeting would take place at the latter’s residence ‘Matoshree’ on Wednesday evening.
The BJP and Shiv Sena had contested the 2014 Assembly elections separately, with the former emerging as the bigger party. The subsequent rapprochement has seen the Shiv Sena struggle with new realities after playing big brother to the BJP in the State in the past.
In the face of a combined opposition having trounced the BJP in successive bypolls in Uttar Pradesh, and the open call given by former ally Telegu Desam Party (TDP) that it would actively work to defeat the BJP not only on its turf, Andhra Pradesh but also wherever the opposition needed its help, the BJP has undertaken a belated outreach programme.
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