20 January,2009 07:56 PM IST | | PTI
At a time when its ally Shiv Sena has gone on the offensive over the vexed Maharashtra-Karnataka boundary row, Maharashtra BJP today said it favours merger of the Marathi-speaking areas of Karnataka with the state.
"It is the unequivocal stance of state BJP that Maharashtra should get Marathi-speaking areas on the border," a resolution passed at a meeting of state BJP executive said.
"The issue is before the Supreme Court. Maharashtra's side needs to be projected strongly," the resolution said. "It has been 50 years since Maharashtra was formed, but the border issue has not been resolved.
Despite Congress being in power at the state and the Centre for most of this period, there has been no resolution of the dispute," it said.
BJP actively supports the struggle of Marathi-speaking people in (Karnataka's) border areas, the resolution said.
The nine-day session of the Karnataka Legislature, commenced at Belgaum on January 16, in the backdrop of protests from the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES).
MES is seeking merger of 856 villages and towns including Belgaum, Karwar and Nippani, with Maharashtra. Karnataka has been rejecting Maharashtra's claim over the Marathi-speaking areas.
The boundary dispute has led to violent protests in the state since last week, leading to disruption of state transport services between the two states.
