BJP's central leadership has instructed the Maharashtra unit not to get provoked by the combined onslaught on the party by Shiv Sena, NCP, Congress and MNS. "Keep cool is our mantra," said the party functionary and added, "We are going to keep our feet up on the table and enjoy. Let them say whatever they want to say."
"Four political parties are targeting BJP. This means that our party is growing from strength to strength. People will realize this," said city BJP spokesperson Niranjan Shetty and added, "The more vicious the attack on BJP, the greater the party's chance of winning absolute majority in assembly polls."
The latest survey, ordered by BJP to assess the popular mood in faraway regions where Modi campaigned over the past two weeks, has come up with "heart-warming" conclusions, said senior party leader Vinod Tawde. "We will reach the 165-mark in a 288-strong Maharashtra assembly," he said and remarked cheekily, "This is what our rivals are doing to us. Their abuses will bring us more blessings from the people."
Shiv Sena and MNS have been at the forefront in slamming BJP—especially MNS chief Raj Thackeray who, say observers, never misses a single opportunity to come down heavily on the prime minister and Gujarat chief minister Anandiben Patel on the Marathi-Gujarati issue.
The state BJP, though, isn't willing to walk into the Sena-MNS trap. "Thackeray cousins are keen to consolidate their Marathi vote-bank. Their gameplan is to project BJP as a party of traders who, they allege, have plans to wrest Mumbai from the Marathi manoos. However, BJP doesn't want to get into the Marathi-Gujarati row or Mumbai-Marathi issue," said a Union minister.
Sources said BJP has asked its candidates in Mumbai and the MMRDA belt not to do anything that could trigger ethno-linguistic tension in the region and brighten Sena-MNS' poll prospects in the days to come.
Yogesh Sagar, BJP candidate from Charkop in the poll fray to retain his assembly seat, said, "I am a pucca Marathi. Although I belong to Bhavnagar in Gujarat, my family has century-plus ties with Mumbai. I speak Marathi as if it is my mother tongue." Sagar said he was "amazed" by the undue discussion on the Sena-BJP split. "Not much happened when the Thackeray cousins parted ways in 2006," he said. While Modi, addressing a poll meeting in Dondaicha, near Dhule early this week, forcefully countered the charge that his party had plans to sever Mumbai from Maharashtra, the Thackerays promptly came up with yet another point to pick on BJP—Vidarbha issue. "This will continue till October 15," said Tawde.
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