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In a sharp attack, Saamana, the mouthpiece of the Shiv Sena (UBT), has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of abandoning ideology for power and using tactical alliances to manipulate electoral outcomes.
The editorial, penned under the stewardship of editor and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, claims that the BJP has repeatedly relied on the indirect support of the AIMIM, led by Asaduddin Owaisi, in elections across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra to engineer vote splits.
According to the editorial, what was earlier alleged to be a covert understanding has now come into the open. Saamana argues that whenever Owaisi becomes politically active in Maharashtra, it is a signal that the BJP has begun its election preparations. The piece alleges that the BJP’s proclaimed commitment to Hindutva is merely a façade, discarded whenever it becomes inconvenient to the pursuit of power.
The editorial also accuses the BJP of hypocrisy in its frequent attacks on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray over ideology. While questioning Sena’s alliances with Congress, Saamana points out that the BJP itself has entered into arrangements with Congress in some municipal bodies and with AIMIM in others. It cites examples from Maharashtra’s civic politics, alleging that such alliances were quietly negotiated and only disowned when they triggered public outrage.
Referring to the recent political controversy in Akot and Ambernath, the editorial claims that the BJP attempted damage control only after the issue became widely discussed. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, it notes, was forced to publicly distance the party from what he termed “unacceptable alliances” and promised action. However, Saamana questions the sincerity of this response, arguing that such tie-ups could not have taken place without the knowledge of the party’s senior leadership.
In addition, the editorial further alleges that the BJP’s current strategy is to remain in power at any cost, even if it means diluting its stated principles. It points to the steady influx of leaders from Congress, the NCP and other parties into the BJP, claiming that the party today is largely made up of political imports. The slogan of a “Congress-mukt Bharat,” it argues, has ironically resulted in what it calls a “Congress-ised BJP.”
Saamana also alleges that the BJP no longer possesses a distinct ideological identity and is willing to partner with any political force, including AIMIM, if it helps retain power.
