Mumbai: Is BJP planning to offer bait of 50 percent seats to Shiv Sena in polls?

Mumbai: Even as the Shiv Sena leadership has been constantly turning down all overtures from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for any pre-poll alliance, a senior BJP minister claimed the decision of alliance has already been informally taken and only talks about sharing seats remains. According to BJP insider, the BJP is ready to give up its claims on more than 50 percent assembly seats, in exchange for more seats for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

On the other hand, well aware of it’s estranged ruling ally- BJP getting nervous about its chances in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, the Shiv Sena went for the jugular of its saffron ally and bluntly turned down its overtures for talks ofa pre-poll alliance.

When asked for his comments on BJP president Amit Shah’s assertion that the next government in 2019, both at the Center and in the state will be formed under the banner of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Subhash Desai, minister for industries and senior Sena leader said, “Amit Shah and Devendra Fadnavis have realised they cannot come back to power by contesting independently and hence we are talking of a NDA government coming to power.”

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In an apparent snub to the BJP, Desai further said, “Contesting the ensuing elections independently is the only option left. Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has twice moved a resolution and said Sena shall contest elections on its own strength. Six months ago the tone and tenor of the BJP was different. Today it’s tone and tenor has changed.”

BJP president Amit Shah on the foundation day of the party on Friday had stated that the BJP wants to contest the ensuing elections along with the Sena, though the latter has made it amply clear that it will not have any pre-poll alliance with the BJP.

Sources in the Sena said the party has reportedly turned down the BJP’s offer of giving post of Deputy Chairman in the Rajya Sabha. The post shall fall vacant in coming July after term of P J Kurien of Congress as member of the upper house in the parliament ends. In the state legislature too, the BJP has kept the post of deputy speakers in the legislative assembly vacant for the last four years.

Meanwhile, a senior BJP minister claimed, BJP is ready to offer almost 50 per cent seats in state assembly poll to Sena. “We do not want to share political space with Sena, but will offer seats only. It is up to Sena, how to select candidates having win-ability and elect more candidates in assembly,” said the minister. “The meeting with Sena leadership will probably held this week and we will convince Thackeray about the formula,” said the minister.