Shiv Sena, BJP reach seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra

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Mumbai: After dilly-dallying, saffron Shiv Sena and BJP have struck electoral alliance for the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra. BJP though will contest 26 seats, it was forced to leave its claims on the crucial south Mumbai, Kalyan and Yavatmal constituencies. BJP in turn had bagged politically difficult Bhiwandi seat and also Jalgaon in north Maharashtra. Sena will contest in all 22 seats.

With the announcement of electoral alliance, Shiv Sena, who has over two decade old tie up with BJP in Maharashtra, put at rest speculation over its desire to join hands with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Ironically, Sena’s stand on supporting NCP supremo Sharad Pawar for the prime minister’s post if the situation arises had created tension between the two allies. However, after Sena’s clarification that the party will remain a member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and support the candidature of LK Advani for the PM paved way for commencement of talks between the two over seat sharing.

The announcement in this regard was made by the BJP national general secretary Gopinath Munde in Delhi while Sena leader Subhas Desai and BJP legislator Vinod Tawade released the list of constituencies to media in Mumbai this afternoon. Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray is believed to have flatly rejected BJP’s suggestion to remain present at the press conference to be organised for the announcement of electoral alliance. Thackeray infact told the BJP leaders that he would attend the alliance rally in the presence of BJP national president Rajnath Singh or BJP veteran LK Advani.

BJP sources said differences between the two saffron partners over swapping of some constituencies have been resolved. The agreement follows a meeting of senior state leaders of the two parties which ended around midnight last night. A formal announcement on the formula, similar to the 2004 poll arrangement, is likely to be made in the presence of Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and state BJP president Nitin Gadkari, the sources said.