Joshi credits late Mahajan for Sena-BJP ties

The strained relationship between Shiv Sena and BJP in Maharashtra was the result of absence of late Pramod Mahajan as he would never have let things come to a head, according to senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi.

The strained relationship between Shiv Sena and BJP alliance in Maharashtra was the result of absence of late Pramod Mahajan from the political scene as he would never have allowed things to come to a head, according to senior Sena leader Manohar Joshi.

He described Mahajan as a perfectionist and a political strategist with mathematical precision.

At a function in Pune late Tuesday night to mark the birth anniversary of the late leader, Joshi said 8220;the entire credit of forging the two-decade-long saffron alliance and strengthening it goes to late Mahajan who could earn the Sena chief Bal Thackeray8217;s confidence.8221;

Joshi said the 8216;Yuti8217; alliance materialised and thrived because of the political skills of Mahajan who did the tightrope walking and adopted a balanced posture when it came to sorting out of differences between the two parties.

He, however, always acknowledged the Sena chief as the only leader of the time-tested alliance, Joshi said.

BJP leader Gopinath Munde, who also participated in the programme, said the party had suffered an irreparable loss due to the demise of Mahajan.

Mahajan, he said, was an aggressive strategist and a skilled organiser besides being a greater orator.

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Joshi recalled his election as the Lok Sabha speaker and said it was result of a swift political maneuvering and lobbying by Mahajan who had a fast interaction with senior party leaders Atal Bihari Vajpayee and L K Advani as also Sonia Gandhi, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha at that time.

The late Mahajan had maintained good relations with all industrialists but he always used them for the benefit of the party and never for any personal gains, Joshi said.

Mahajan, who was assassinated at his residence, had once talked about how he would have like to die, Joshi claimed.

8220;I would like to die when I am addressing a mammoth public rally at Shivaji park and the crowd has just exploded into a hearty applause to my speech. That would be the ideal moment for me to take my exit. But it was not to be, Joshi sighed.