Sena firm in its stand, BJP busy in meetings Both parties testing waters to contest alone
Mumbai
Uncertainty loomed large over the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance on Saturday evening as even while constantly chanting the “Mahayuti shall stay” mantra, the Shiv Sena doesn’t seem to be diluting its stand and BJP leaders remained engaged in endless meetings exchanging newer seat-sharing proposals.
The BJP central parliamentary committee would meet in Delhi on Sunday to decide on the list of BJP candidates in the State, while Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray is also expected to put forth his side.
“There will be clarity on the alliance issue in the next 24 hours,” BJP leader Vinod Tawde said, while Sena made it clear that a decision on the alliance may be taken tomorrow.
“Uddhavji has been authorised by the party to take a call on the alliance. Shiv Sena executive committee is meeting tomorrow and an announcement is likely to be made,” Sena spokesman and MP Sanjay Raut said.
The tension between the country’s oldest allies scaled its peak on Saturday after both of them rejected each others’ formulas on sharing seats for the Assembly election. BJP wanted 121 seats for itself, 149 for Shiv Sena and 18 for junior partners. Shiv Sena rejected the formula and proposed 163 seats for itself and 125 for BJP.
At a meeting held at BJP MP Poonam Mahajan’s residence in Worli, Sena leader Subhash Desai presented the party’s formula to BJP election in-charge O P Mathur. According to the formula, Sena is ready to give 8 seats to Raju Shetti-led Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) and has asked BJP to spare some seats to Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India (RPI). It has also proposed to appoint representatives of Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) and Shiv Sangram (SS) on Legislative Council instead of asking them to contest the Assembly election. Shiv Sena leaders also said that if BJP accepts this formula, exchange of seats also can be done immediately.
“As per the proposal Shiv Sena will get 155 and SSS 8 seats. The RPI is adamant that it wants 8 to 10 seats. Even if we give 8 seats to RPI, our tally will come down to 117. It is less than what we had last time. It is not feasible,” Tawde said after a separate meeting of the BJP’s state core committee at the official residence of leader of opposition Eknath Khadse.
Senior Sena leader Anil Desai, who was at the meeting where the Sena proposal was put forth, insisted there is no threat to the alliance between the two parties which “is going to stay”.
“We are aware of the fact that the Mahayuti is very important for Maharashtra. The alliance between us is definitely going to stay. More than the offer (of seats), alliance is important. Uddhavji will announce his decision within 24 hours,” he told reporters after meeting the Sena chief.
“Media reports that our alliance will break is a fiction. We are only working out the finer points before we announce our seat-sharing formula,” he said.
Meanwhile, though the leaders from both the parties are constantly chanting the “Mahayuti shall stay” mantra, it appears as if they hardly have any coordination and are actually testing the waters to contest the polls all alone. It appeared as if the central BJP leadership is hurt with Sena’s tough stand and adamant attitude.
Earlier in the day, state BJP poll in-charge Om Mathur told reporters that the party leaders are busy discussing seats from the party’s quota. “We are discussing on seats wherever discussions are needed,” he said.
“We will submit list of our candidates at the BJP parliamentary board meeting in Delhi tomorrow,” Mathur added.
Asked what would be the next course of action if talks on seat-sharing with Sena fail to materialise, Mathur said, “We are going to Delhi for tomorrow’s meet with our list of candidates.”
September 27 is the deadline for filing of nominations for the October 15 polls.
