MUMBAI, March 31: Continuing his tirade against Chief Minister Manohar Joshi, Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray on Monday night gave a three-month ultimatum to the three-year-old Sena-BJP Government to improve its image and performance. Thackeray's statement came at a high level party meeting on Monday night, which he attended despite his March 22 declaration to keep off active politics for a while.Shiv Sena sources said that Thackeray decided to address the meeting at the instance of a section of ministers, including Joshi. The meeting at a five star hotel in South Mumbai was attended by senior leaders Dattaji Salvi, Udhav and Raj Thackeray among others.
While Joshi said that his political mentor advised party activists to work with greater enthusiasm, according to a senior party leader, Thackeray, in his hour long speech, blasted the alliance Government for its lacklustre approach towards the problems of the masses. Thackeray's main contention was that despite his whirlwind campaign of the entire stateon the eve of mid-term polls, the Sena-BJP alliance could not retain even those seats which it had won in the last Lok Sabha elections, owing to the poor performance of the alliance Government. The Sena supremo also warned that he would not campaign in the next elections, if the Government failed to deliver the goods soon.
Significantly, BJP, Shiv Sena's alliance partner, maintained a safe distance from the controversy. ``It is the internal matter of the Shiv Sena. I do not want to comment on it,'' Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde said, when his reaction was sought on the cold war between Thackeray and Joshi.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
