Mumbai: As uneasiness grew in the ruling BJP and Shiv Sena alliance over a seat-sharing arrangement for the next month’s Assembly polls in Maharashtra, the latter’s leader Sanjay Raut said Monday that a formula has been ‘almost worked out’ between them. He also asserted that the ‘next 24 hours’ are ‘crucial’ for the alliance.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the official announcement on seat-sharing deal will be made at the ‘right time’. The chief minister, however, stated that he is equally concerned regarding the seat sharing deal.
“I am also equally concerned about the formation of the alliance with the Shiv Sena., official announcement will be made at the right time,” said Fadnavis.
Raut told a regional news channel that the next 24 hours are crucial for the alliance. “A seat-sharing formula has almost been worked out. It is in the final stages. Sena is known for keeping its word. When Lok Sabha elections were scheduled (in April-May this year), there was some arrangement finalised for seat-sharing,” informed Sanjay Raut.
Amid reports that the Shiv Sena might have to make a climbdown on the number of seats it had initially demanded to contest, its leaders have been maintaining the arrangement will be made as per an understanding reached among party chief Uddhav Thackeray, BJP president Amit Shah and Fadnavis earlier this year.
In the 2014 elections, the Shiv Sena and the BJP had broken up their alliance at the last moment, and contested separately. After the results, the BJP emerged as the single largest party winning 122 of the 288 seats while the Sena bagged 63 seats. Both the parties later joined the hands to form the government.
PTI