Mumbai: Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Monday
said that an alliance with Republican Party of India (RPI)
will be formed soon.
He however refrained from announcing the exact date of
alliance of 'Shiv Shakti' and 'Bhim Shakti' (Dalits, who form
RPI's support base).
"There is no need to worry about our (Shiv Sena-BJP's)
alliance with RPI, as it will materialise soon", Thackeray
told reporters after meeting Dalit leader and former RPI MP
Ramdas Athawale at Thackerays' residence 'Matoshree' in
suburban Bandra here.
His son and Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray,
and a few other Dalit leaders too were present.
The meeting assumes significance as the high-profile
elections to BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation
(BMC) are just nine months away.
Alleging that the ruling government in state and at
centre had become "arrogant", the Sena patriarch said that the
government had been "presenting us with issues on a platter,
for us to launch agitations".
"The government's autocratic nature can be seen from the
various issues which have led to protest from the people in
the country, including the proposed nuclear power project in
Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district and the farmers' protest in
Uttar Pradesh", he said.
Asked about bringing the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts' prime
accused, Dawood Ibrahim, to justice, Thackeray said, "May be I
will have to do something about him when our government comes
to power."
Athawale had met Thackeray in January and was given a
proposal to form an alliance by the Sena chief.
"The discussion on forming an alliance with Sena-BJP
is going on in a positive manner and it will be formed before
October," Athawale told reporters.
PTI
First Published: Monday, May 09, 2011, 19:31