Sena’s RS aspiration leaves BJP in dilemma

The BJP was left facing a dilemma today after the Shiv Sena decided to field Eknath Thakur for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson. T...

The BJP was left facing a dilemma today after the Shiv Sena decided to field Eknath Thakur for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson. The party has to either side with the Congress or go back on its commitment to the UPA Government to facilitate the unopposed election of K. Rehman Khan.

The BJP leadership reached out to Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray today, hoping that he would ultimately bail out the party. BJP’s RS deputy leader Sushma Swaraj told reporters that party general secretary Pramod Mahajan had been asked to sort out the issue with Thackeray. She said the BJP had urged Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to talk to Sena leaders.

Notwithstanding the BJP lobbying in Mumbai, Thakur filed his nomination papers today. Swaraj said the NDA was not in a position to bag the post in an election. However, the party wished the Congress gave the post to a person outside its fold. Since the Congress had chosen to ignore it, the BJP had decided not to propose Khan’s candidature. As for Vayalar Ravi, she made it clear the BJP never opposed his candidature.

When asked to spell out the party stand if the Sena refused to withdraw its candidate, she said: ‘‘Wait till tomorrow.’’ She denied the Sena was not consulted by BJP before endorsing Khan’s candidature. She said Leader of the Opposition in the House Jaswant Singh had spoken to Sena MP Sanjay Nirupam about it.

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