Two days after the Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced their intent to contest the assembly and general elections together, the parties appeared to be on different pages on a key tenet underpinning their renewed alliance — sharing the Chief Minister’s post.

Reacting sharply to BJP leader and Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil’s remark on Tuesday that the partner winning more seats would get the CM’s job, Sena leader Ramdas Kadam said they will call off the alliance if that were to be the case.

Mr Kadam, who is the State’s Environment Minister, said that as per the pact worked out after parleys between BJP president Amit Shah and Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, all constitutional posts would be equally shared.

“This means the CM’s post will also be equally shared. If this formula isn’t acceptable to BJP leaders, we will ask Uddhavji to call off the alliance. We are capable of contesting polls alone,” he asserted.

“If the BJP does not wish to fulfil its commitment, it is free to break the pre-poll alliance immediately,” he said.

On Tuesday night, Mr Thackeray had told party workers that he had rejected the formula proposing that the party winning maximum number of seats in assembly elections would get the post of chief minister.

“This formula was used by both parties (Sena and BJP) in the last 25 years. I have rejected it. What I have demanded is that both the parties get to share all posts equally,” Mr Thackeray said.

Not hankering for power

Mr Kadam stressed that the Sena is not desperate for power and did not make any compromises to secure the alliance, echoing an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna. Arguing that the party has turned the wind in its favour, even though the direction of winds in the country will be known tomorrow, the editorial noted: “Our sword is as sharp as always and we have not kept it locked in scabbard.”

The answers to several questions being raised — like why did it ally with the BJP despite differences in 2014, will the Ram temple be constructed, will there be a Sena CM — are “positive”, the editorial underlined.

Although Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s “progress card” has improved much since 2014 and he now has sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s support, the two cannot match Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the editorial said. Terming political opponents questioning the alliance as insects that will be crushed, it concluded: “Instead of replying to questions on the alliance, it is better to take forward the arrangement made for Maharashtra’s benefit.”