MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena has heaved a sigh relief following Amit Shah ’s recent statement that the BJP hasn’t made a poll promise on creating a separate Vidarbha . The party’s newspaper complimented Shah on Thursday.

Carving out a separate state has for long been a bone of contention between Shiv Sena and BJP with the former stridently opposing any move to bifurcate Maharashtra.

However, with the BJP president categorically stating the party position on Vidarbha, the Sena has scored over its ally on a key policy issue, said analysts. “We think that Shah has echoed the Prime Minister’s views on the subject (Vidarbha),” said the Sena mouthpiece. Stating that a linguistic state can’t be divided on the basis of poll rhetoric and manifestos, Saamna, in an editorial, said Shah's statement has allayed all doubts on the row. The BJP president has taught a good lesson to “Maharashtra breakers”, retorted Saamna.

“The BJP is not in a position to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya or scrap Article 370. Also, there are no indications that it may succeed in pushing through the Uniform Civil Code. Such poll assurances are handed out to the electorate during elections...We wont' say that the BJP has done a U-turn on its poll promises...We would say that Shah and Modi are just being practical...They have now showed such pragmatism about Vidarbha too,” commented Saamna. Pointing out that some people from Vidarbha have a “mercantile interest” in creating a separate state, Saamna said the Sena’s stand has been vindicated. Union minister Venkaiah Naidu too has backed the Sena views on Vidarbha, Saamna said. Recalling that Nitin Gadkari, Devendra Fadnavis and Sudhir Mungantiwar—the BJP bigwigs who belong to Vidarbha—had been talking of a separate Vidarbha during elections, Saamna said Shah’s statement has put an end to the row.

