Sena-BJP bid to split NCP fails

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI, AUG. 11. The Shiv Sena - BJP alliance now in Opposition, made a vain bid on Thursday to persuade Mr. Sudhakarrao Naik, the former Chief Minister, to help break the Nationalist Congress Party's legislative wing to enable the Sena-BJP alliance to return to power. However, this was not the first attempt by them.

According to sources, Mr. Naik turned down the suggestion, though he has been holding the view that the NCP should have formed a Government in alliance with the saffron.

This view, Mr. Naik had clarified long ago, was something he no longer held. Yet, the Sena continues to see him as a chink in the NCP.

The Sena made efforts through Mr. Narayan Rane, its Leader of Opposition in Assembly, with the help from Mr. Nitin Gadkari, his BJP counterpart in the Council, to win over the NCP MLAs, but could make very little or no progress at all.

Unless 20 MLAs from that party cross over, their gameplan would not succeed.

At this moment, the NCP is not so clearly poised, to split, though the Sena and the BJP's target has been that party and not the Congress(I).

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Section  : Other States
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