Mumbai: The Shiv Sena-BJP combine in
Maharashtra on Thursday forged an alliance with the Republican Party
of India (RPI) faction led by Ramdas Athawale ahead of civic
polls and announced a rally on June 9 against the Congress-NCP
government.
Athawale, Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and
senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde made the announcement at a
joint press conference in suburban Bandra.
"Our alliance will fight against the state government on
issues like corruption and inflation," Munde said.
The Congress-NCP combine is shedding crocodile tears over
the plight of farmers, Uddhav said. "Rahul Gandhi went to
Uttar Pradesh to support farmers but the hands of Maharashtra
government are stained with the blood of Tabrez, the anti-
Jaitapur project activist, killed in police firing," he said.
Athawale has already announced his party is organising a
rally here on May 22 in which over one lakh party workers from
Mumbai and across the state, are likely to attend.
The recent meeting between BJP President Nitin Gadkari
and Athawale, where they mooted the idea of a united
opposition front against the ruling Congress-NCP coalition in
Maharashtra, had raised eyebrows in state political circles.
Athawale later met Sena chief Bal Thackeray to discuss
the proposal of "issue based" unity among the Opposition
parties. Dalits comprise 28 per cent of Maharashtra's
electorate.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 15:40