MUMBAI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted angrily to the Shiv Sena’s offer of just 60 seats in the BMC polls, terming it ‘humiliating’ and bringing the ongoing talks for a pre-poll alliance to a virtual standstill.
BJP leaders vented their anger in a meeting at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s official residence Varsha on Sunday. Ashish Shelar, president, BJP Mumbai unit, said, “We informed the CM of the developments in the discussions with Sena leaders. The Sena has made an offer of 60 seats in Mumbai, which is nothing but an insult. We expressed our anger at this offer during the meeting.” Mr. Shelar, who declined to comment on the future of the ongoing talks, said his party continues to be positive about the alliance and the final call in this matter will be taken by Mr. Fadnavis and Maharashtra unit chief Raosaheb Danve.
The Sena, however, was in no mood to relent. “Looking at the BJP’s strength in Mumbai, they should be happy with 60 seats. Our party chief Uddhav Thackeray has been generous in offering them the seats. Party leaders feel we shouldn’t give even one more seat to the BJP,” the Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said.
Mr. Raut said smaller parties should present acceptable reasons when asking for more seats. “This is the corporation election. Each party’s strength will be measured on the number of corporators it has, and that will be the basis for any discussion,” he said.
