Sena-BJP tie-up for civic polls

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI, OCT. 9. In an expected move, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena have decided to tie up for the forthcoming urban local bodies polls in Maharashtra -- members to 171 municipal councils and chairmen for them (direct election) are to be elected on December 2 -- by which they have reaffirmed the indispensability of one to the other.

The Congress(I) and the Nationalist Congress Party, on the other hand, despite being partners in the Government here, have opted to go it alone, wanting to test their respective growth or otherwise since they came to power in what is often described as ``not a political alliance but compulsions.'' The results would decide their future courses.

Though the BJP had spoken of wanting to allow the alliances with the Shiv Sena, its long time saffron partner, at district level, today's meeting of the elders of both parties did not spell out if it was to be so or decisions would be centralised at Mumbai. Such a task would be quite onerous and therefore, the Congress(I) and NCP have thought it fit to allow selection of candidates at the local levels.

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