Sena-BJP alliance survives

The Sena may contest 151, the BJP 130 and four of other allies 7 seats

September 23, 2014 02:50 pm | Updated November 27, 2021 06:55 pm IST - Mumbai

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and BJP leader Vinod Tawde (right) at a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday. Photo: Vivek Bendre

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut and BJP leader Vinod Tawde (right) at a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday. Photo: Vivek Bendre

Just three days ahead of the closing of nominations for the October 15 Maharashtra Assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena appear to have sorted out their disagreements over seat-sharing. The Sena has decided to contest 151 seats and the BJP 130, by a tentative formula worked out at a joint meeting at the BJP headquarters here on Tuesday morning. The four other allies will get seven seats.

With the Sena not budging from its demand for 151 seats, the BJP was left with no choice but to poach seats from the allies’ quota.

In the 2009 election, the Sena contested 169 seats and the BJP 119. To accommodate the new allies, the Sena agreed to take 151, leaving 18 to the allies.

In a clear sign that neither the BJP nor the Sena wanted to end their 25-year-old political association, Sena leaders arrived at the BJP headquarters in the morning.

Ninety 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 a seat-sharing arrangement, leaving the smaller parties in the lurch.

BJP may have to concede two more seats

If the four smaller allies of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena demand more than the seven seats offered to them for the October 15 Assembly election, they will be offered two more, bringing the BJP’s share down to 128 from 130, party sources said.

“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.

In the post-poll scenario, the leaders of the smaller allies of the “Mahayuti” (grand alliance) will be accommodated in important posts, the BJP said.

The Sena delegation for Tuesday’s talks with the BJP was represented by MP and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut, senior leaders Subash Desai, Anil Desai and Sanjay Narwekar. State BJP leaders were led by party in-charge of the Maharashtra election O.P Mathur.

“Both sides are keen that the 25-year-old alliance does not break. Various proposals are being discussed. We are sincerely trying to work out 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 supremo Uddhay Thackeray on Sunday afternoon that his party was determined to contest 151 seats had caught political observes unawares. Besides, his blunt comments reminding Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it was the Sena which had come to his defence when he was under pressure to step down post-Godhra riots in 2002 predictably triggered speculation that the 25-year old alliance was on the brink.

“We will forgo 18 seats for the four other allies from our quota. But this is my last effort to save the alliance,” Mr. Thackeray declared while addressing the office-bearers across the State in Mumbai.

“I told the BJP leaders that we are givers and not takers. We are giving our seats to other parties,” he said. “This is the time to go all out and campaign for victory. Instead, we are engaged in seat bargaining,” he said.

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