The Sena may contest 151, the BJP 130 and four of other allies 7 seats
Just three days ahead of the closing of nominations for the assembly polls, the BJP and the Shiv Sena appear to have sorted out their seat-sharing imbroglio. As per a tentative formula worked out on Tuesday morning, at a joint meeting of the two parties here at the BJP headquarters here, the Sena would contest 151, the BJP 130 and four of other allies seven seats.
With the Sena not budging from its demand for 151 seats, the BJP was left with no choice to poach onto the quota of 18 seats that were to go to allies. In the 2009 assembly election, the Sena contested 169 seats as against 119 by the BJP. To accommodate the new allies, the Sena had agreed to contest 151 seats leaving 18 to allies.
Later in the evening, leaders of the two parties would meet their counterparts from four other parties who are part of the larger alliance. It is anyone’s guess whether they could succeed in persuading the smaller parties to agree to the new formula.
The smaller parties are Ramdas Athawale led RPI-A, Raju Shetty's Swabhiman Shetkari Sanghatana, Mahadeo Jankar's Rashtriya Samaj Party and Shiv Sangram of Vinayak Meite.
In a clear sign that neither the BJP nor the Sena wanted to end their quarter century political association, leaders of the Sena arrived at the BJP headquarters where its leaders were meeting to take stock of the latest situation.
90 minutes later they emerged to address a rare joint press conference indicating that they have decided not only to stick together but also amicably worked out seat-sharing arrangement between themselves virtually leaving the smaller parties in the lurch.
"It is a decision for us to make if we want to keep an old ally or four new allies. We will convince the smaller allies," said a senior BJP leader.
If the four smaller allies do not agree, they would be offered another 2 seats bringing the BJP's share to 128, BJP party sources said.
In a post-poll scenario, the leaders of the smaller allies of the Mahayuti would be accommodated in important posts, the BJP indicated.
In possibly the last attempts by both sides to resolve the deadlock, Sena leaders met with State BJP leaders led by BJP-in-charge of Maharashtra polls O.P Mathur on Tuesday morning.
The Sena delegation was represented by MP and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut, senior leaders Subash Desai, Anil Desai and Sanjay Narwekar
"Both sides are keen that the 25-year-old alliance does not break. Various proposals are being discussed. We are sincerely trying to workout a solution. We will include the smaller allies in the discussion," said Vinod Tawde, BJP MLC and leader of Opposition in the legislative council.
The brusque announcement by the Sena supreme Uddhay Thackeray on Sunday afternoon that his party is determined to fight 151 seats and `giving’118 seats to the BJP had caught political observes unawares. Besides his blunt comments reminding the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it is Sena which had come to his defence when he was under pressure to step down post-Godhra riots in 2002 predictably triggered speculations that the 25-year old alliance is on brink.
As per the proposal presented by the Sena president Uddhav Thackeray, his party will contest on 151 seats, while the BJP will get 119 seats. “We will forgo 18 seats for other four allies from our quota. But this is my last effort to save the alliance,” Mr. Thackeray had declared while addressing the office-bearers across the state in Mumbai.
“I told the BJP leaders that we are givers and we are not takers. We are giving our seats to other parties,” he said, taunting the BJP. “This is the time to go all out and campaign for victory. But instead we are engaged in seat bargaining,” he said.
Citing the example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr. Thackeray had said that a tea- seller has become the PM. “We too aren’t from the empire. If the blessings of Shivaji Maharaj are with us, we too will get what s written in our destiny,” he had said.
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