New Delhi,
As BJP chief Amit Shah’s “kutta, billi” vituperative against Opposition assumed centre stage on Friday, an important political shift — his public reach-out to sulking ally Shiv Sena — was relegated to the sides. Clearly, an attempt to pacify allies and keep the NDA stock together against any collective anti-BJP formation saw Shah “sincerely wishing” that “the Shiv Sena stays with the BJP” for the next elections”.

On allegations, by former partner Telugu Desam Party , Sena and others, that the BJP did not treat allies well, Shah said: “It’s our heartiest wish that Shiv Sena stays with us. Shiv Sena is part of NDA at the Centre and the Devendra Fadnavis government Maharashtra as well. Only TDP has left. In fact, we have gained more allies than we have lost.”

While the TDP has moved ahead, the Sena is carrying on with its bitter-sweet relationship even though it has declared it would contest separately in future. The BJP-Sena relations go back a long way and together they have seen several ups and downs. But the relationship has never been so bad as it is in the “new BJP” under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his deputy Shah.

However, with changing political situation in the country ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Shah appears to be on the track to improve relations with allies, including Sena.