Cabinet approves Rs. 100 crore for Bal Thackeray memorial.

The State Cabinet recently approved Rs.100 crore for the construction of a memorial of Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray, triggering speculation on whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Sena have bridged their differences ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced in 2015 that the Thackeray memorial will be built at the Mayor Bungalow in Dadar.

The funds approved on Tuesday will come from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which will undertake the construction of the memorial and will later be refunded by the government. In December, the Cabinet had waived Rs. 14.41 crore in stamp duty on the lease agreement for the bungalow.

Sena leaders have said the funds for the memorial had nothing to do with the poll alliance, with party leader and Industries Minister Subhash Desai terming it an administrative decision. BJP leaders, however, have said they have always wanted the Sena as an ally.

The possession of the bungalow will be handed over to the MMRDA on Wednesday, Thackeray’s birth anniversary. “A Ganesh puja will be held on Wednesday and land possession will be given to the MMRDA. The bhoomipujan will be held two to three weeks later,” Mr. Desai said.

Throughout Tuesday, there was speculation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Dadar on Wednesday to pay his respects to Thackeray and share the stage with Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. However, his visit was not confirmed. According to sources within the BJP, Mr. Modi would have visited had the Sena and the BJP sealed an alliance pact. “But him coming to the programme will portray the BJP as desperate to form an alliance, and we do not want to show such signs,” a BJP leader said.

The Sena, meanwhile, by delaying the bhoomipujan, is testing the BJP’s patience. “We will work according to our own timetable,” one Sena leader said.

THE HINDU