Will Shiv Sena agree to 5 per cent reservations for Muslims?

The Shiv Sena is in a fix now. It has left the BJP's hand. But it is not yet certain about the friendship with the Congress. While the Congress may be willing to extend a hand of friendship, it has some conditions which it wants Shiv Sena to accept. Accepting both the conditions would mean that the Shiv Sena will have to forego its basic Hindutwa principles.


The first condition is that Shiv Sena should accept the Congress promise of 5 per cent reservation to the Muslims. The Shiv Sena has always opposed the reservations to the Muslims. Secondly, it also wants the Shiv Sena to drop its demand for Bharat Ratna to Swatantrya Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, who is regarded as the Hindutwa icon. If shiv Sena forgoes these two issues to form the Government, it only means that it should be ready to forego its Hindutwa voters. In that event, Shiv Sena will just be reduced to a region party. A large section of Gujarati and South Indian voters will shun the party in the next election.


Will Shiv Sena do that? Will it shun the Hindutwa principles for power? In that event, how will it face the voters in the next election?