Shiv Sena and BJP have apparently repaired their frayed relations and arrived at a pact in Maharashtra for the general and assembly elections. The BJP has pulled off a deal in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as well, where it will contest in alliance with the AIADMK and PMK. In these states, the BJP appears to have gone out of its way to accommodate the partner’s demands, a pattern that began when it negotiated an arrangement with the JD(U) in Bihar. The BJP leadership seems to have looked at the big picture while conceding ground to the Sena, JD(U), AIADMK and PMK.
The firming up of the NDA in these states, on terms and conditions apparently set by the allies, also reveals the uncertainty ahead of the election. The BJP seems unwilling to risk its chances in the wake of agrarian unrest, lack of jobs and the prospect of an Opposition getting, at the very least, its arithmetic right.
