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No chance of Sena-BJP alliance breaking up: Munde

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde today said there was no tension in the Bharatiya Janata Party's alliance with the Shiv Sena in the state over the issue of the Pakistani cricket team playing in the country.

Talking to the media in his chamber at Mantralaya, Munde, of the BJP, said the alliance and the government would remain intact.

But, he also said the Pakistanis would not play in Nagpur or Bombay, the Test centres in the state. Munde, who is also the state's home minister, said he would provide full protection to the team if they played anywhere in Maharashtra. ''But I don't think they are coming to the state,'' he said.

Asked whether it was proper on the part of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray to threaten to snap the alliance on the issue, he chose not to comment. But he said it was in the interest of both parties to continue the alliance.

To another question, Munde said the joint co-ordination committee meeting to deliberate on the issue of free electricity to farmers would meet before the December 14 winter session at Nagpur.

Replying to a question on the reported meeting of independent MLAs with leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar, he said the independents have been meeting him over the last three-and-a-half years, but had always supported the alliance in the assembly. He also said that the Nagpur winter session would pass off smoothly.

UNI

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