Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Curiosity about a possible alliance between the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the upcoming municipal corporation elections had been building for days. The first meeting between leaders of both parties was held on Tuesday, but no discussion on seat sharing took place.
Talks were limited to prabhag reservations and the changed ward structure. Barring Muslim-majority areas, out of 95 seats, the BJP has claimed 65 and Shiv Sena 55. However, leaders of both parties avoided placing these claims on record to avert disputes during the meeting, sources said.
On behalf of Shiv Sena, MLA Pradeep Jaiswal was represented by district chief Rajendra Janjal and Youth Sena’s Rishikesh Jaiswal. Representing the BJP city president Kishor Shitole were former mayor Bapu Ghadamode, Sameer Rajurkar and Prashant Desarda. To avoid friction in the very first meeting, the leaders refrained from asserting seat claims.
Discussions were confined to prabhag reservations and the changed structure. The issue of Hindu-majority wards was also discussed. Of 25 important prabhags for both parties, each claims an equal stake in eight. BJP city president Shitole said the party would examine how it could secure the maximum seats despite the alliance.
Around four to five meetings will be held in the coming days. Results of municipal council and panchayat samiti elections will be declared on Dec 21, and the outcome may influence the seat-sharing scenario. The final decision on seat sharing will be taken after a meeting between Guardian Minister Sanjay Shirsat and OBC Welfare Minister Atul Save, sources said.
Meanwhile, Congress city president Yousuf Shaikh has submitted a proposal for an alliance with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) to Congress state president Harshvardhan Sapkal during a meeting in Mumbai. No discussion has yet taken place on an alliance with Shiv Sena (UBT). Sources said Congress does not get sufficient support from Hindu voters even when aligned with Shiv Sena (UBT) and therefore has kept the VBA option open.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve said there had been no discussion with Congress regarding an alliance for the upcoming election. “As of now, we are planning to contest independently,” he said.
