Mumbai; After the talks of alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena got entangled on the Aarey and Nanar issues, BJP national president Amit Shah will visit Mumbai on September 22. His visit may formalise the seat-sharing formula between the saffron parties.
Shah will be in Mumbai to deliver a speech on the abrogation of the Article 370. But it is expected he will meet Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to finalise and announce the alliance.
Before the LS election, Amit Shah had reached out to the Sena by meeting Thackeray at the latter’s Matoshree residence. Then, the two leaders had driven to a hotel to announce their alliance. The same process is expected to take place for the Assembly election too.
Diwakar Raote, one of the Sena’s senior-most leaders has stressed on the need of 144 seats to formalise the alliance. His statement and posture of the BJP-Shiv Sena combine on the Nanar and Aarey issues has again raised a question mark on the alliance.
BJP has offered just 100 seats and may compromise on giving 126 seats to its junior partner. But the Sena wants a minimum of 135 seats. “Talks for seat-sharing are in progress between Thackeray and Fadnavis.
Both are firm on the alliance,” Sanjay Raut, the Shiv Sena spokesperson said. Raut downplayed Raote’s statement by saying alliance will takes place.
“Raote did not speak his mind. This is the stand of the alliance. He just spoke about the 50:50 formula which was finalised in presence of BJP chief Amit Shah,” Raut added.
Senior BJP leader and state water resources minister Girish Mahajan said the alliance talks will pick up once the Fadnavis’ Yatra is over and it will be “finalised in 2-3 days.”
