Uddhav Thackeray skips Nitish Kumar's event, extends olive branch to BJP

In an indication that he does not want to upset his estranged partner the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP further Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray has decided to skip the swearingin ceremony of the Bihar CMdesignate Nitish Kumar on November 20Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray at a press conference at the Mayorrsquos bungalow in Shivaji Park on the occasion of Bal Thackerayrsquos death anniversary PicDatta KumbharUddhav is among a galaxy of political leaders Nitish has invited for the ceremony to be held in Patna The Bihar leader who in partnership with Lalu Prasad Yadav defeated the BJP in Biharrsquos Assembly polls had announced the invitations immediately after it was clear that he would form the government for the third time in a rowThe Bihar polls are seen as a big setback to PM Narendra Modi and BJPrsquos national president Amit Shah The results have started a blame game in the BJP with its veteran leaders asking the ModiShah duo to take responsibility for the defeatInterestingly the Sena had also fielded 150 candidates in the Bihar polls making it a multicornered fight Though the Sena did not win any seat it was content with an unexpected share of votes on an unfamiliar turf It also celebrated the BJPrsquos defeat by issuing several statements one which said that it was a slap in the face of BJP leaders whom it called arrogant It even said that the Sena would emerge as the single largest party in Maharashtra if Assembly elections were held nowAll is forgivenWhen asked on Tuesday Uddhav said that some ministers and leaders from the Sena would attend Nitishrsquos swearingin ceremony ldquoI will not go to Patna I will meet Nitish in Decemberrdquo he told reporters in an informal chat at the Mayorrsquos bungalow which will be converted into Bal Thackerayrsquos memorialUddhav did not comment further on the issue and chose to accord a welcome to CM Devendra Fadnavis who came to the Mayorrsquos bungalow much after the Sena presidentrsquos arrival thereUddhav played a perfect host at the event offering due respect to the CM and did not talk much at a press conference which the two leaders addressed later The bonhomie between the two leaders was remarkable in view of the bitter exchanges they had in the KalyanDombivli and Kolhapur municipal elections held recentlyThe rapprochement between the Sena and BJP began a day before the Bihar poll results were declared The two parties forged a postpoll alliance in KDMC in which the Sena the single largest party was given the Mayorrsquos post Then Fadnavis declared that he would expand his cabinet in which the Sena would get two more berths Sources say that the Sena may even get some good departments in the Cabinet reshuffle and expansionSources in the Sena camp said that Uddhavrsquos move was a calculated one ahead of the ensuing Cabinet expansion ldquoThe elections are over and now the Sena wants to focus on pressure tactics that would force the BJP to yield something significant in the futurerdquo said a Sena leader requesting anonymityA senior BJP leader said that the development would bring more stability to the BJP governmentldquoThe BJP may not be able to fulfil all the wishes of the Sena But our party may be able to control its menace to some extentrdquo he said