Seat-sharing formula: Bawankule urges CM to make sacrifices

Nagpur: BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, on Wednesday indirectly urged chief minister Eknath Shinde to make concessions in seat-sharing for the upcoming assembly election. Bawankule emphasised BJP with its 105 MLAs, is the largest party in the Mahayuti alliance, which also includes the Shinde-led Sena and the Ajit Pawar faction of NCP. He said, "BJP is a national party with a vast cadre base and a larger electorate to serve.It's only natural we should be allotted more positions in various state corporations (mahamandals) and committees."
Sources in BJP suggest that during a recent meeting, union home minister Amit Shah reminded Shinde of BJP's "significant sacrifice" when it allowed Devendra Fadnavis to step aside from the chief ministerial position to accept deputy chief minister's post in favour of Shinde. Bawankule, however, clarified to reporters here that he was not privy to discussions between Shah and Shinde.
BJP having secured majority seats in last assembly election, expects to contest seats it previously held, while pushing for a larger share of seats across the state.
Bawankule emphasized the importance of resolving internal tensions over seat-sharing to ensure a smooth campaign. He mentioned that BJP has conducted a detailed poll survey and will present its findings at an important meeting in Delhi to determine allocation of seats.
Regarding the suspension of former BJP MLA from Ramtek, Mallikarjun Reddy, on Tuesday for anti-party activities, Bawankule took a firm stand, stating indiscipline would not be tolerated. He said, "The party's unity and discipline are paramount as we head into elections. No one can be allowed to undermine our efforts."
On the possibility of swapping seats with alliance partners, Bawankule said, "We may consider swapping a few seats with Shiv Sena. Also, there are strong candidates from both BJP and NCP, as the latter contested against us in 2019 assembly polls. We need more time to take a final decision in this matter."
With Election Commission announcing the poll schedule, Maharashtra is set to vote on Nov 20, with counting on November 23. BJP is optimistic about its chances, buoyed by strong local support and the party's track record of development in the state, including key infrastructure projects like Metro railway, flyovers, and educational institutions.