As Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah speaks aggressively against ally Shiv Sena at a rally in Latur, sources in the party said the Sena’s adamant attitude has brought the seat-sharing talks between the parties to a standstill.
Besides, inclusion of Rajya Sabha MP and long-time Sena opponent Narayan Rane in the party’s manifesto committee on Sunday is set to irk the Sena leadership, making the alliance for the Lok Sabha (LS) and Assembly elections difficult.
According to a Union minister from Maharashtra who is privy to the discussions, the Sena has been demanding that seat-sharing be made clear for the Lok Sabha and the Assembly polls. “This is not possible. Any decision on the Assembly will be taken at the appropriate time,” the minister said.
A State BJP leader said inclusion of Mr. Rane in the manifesto committee makes it clear that the party’s senior leadership has made up its decision and does not bother about the Sena’s opinion.
The minister said seat-sharing talks have been on hold for over two weeks, though there have been meetings between the parties in the past two months. The Sena reiterates that any statement on the alliance will come only from party chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The BJP, after its climbdown in Bihar to ensure Nitish Kumar remains in the alliance in terms of LS seats, is expected to make a similar move in Maharashtra. The Sena wants a commitment from the BJP for 144 of the 288 Assembly seats along with the LS seat arrangement.
BJP leaders too are facing pressure from party workers to retaliate to the constant criticism of the Sena, but have decided to refrain from it and wait for the right time.
On the other hand, the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party held a meeting on Sunday to discuss the seat-sharing. Both the parties have finalised on 40 of the 48 seats in Maharashtra. Smaller parties will be accommodated in the remaining eight seats, according to Opposition leaders.
