BJP-Sena alliance decision to come on January 21st

The much awaited alliance decision of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena will come on January 21st only, functionaries from both the parties said.

 

A BJP leader who attended the meeting said on the condition of anonymity that both parties wanted to give their likely candidates “enough time to file nominations”. The filing of nomination for the BMC polls begins on 27 January and the last date is 3 February. Polling takes place on 21 February.

 

The BJP leader also said seat-sharing did not come up for discussion at the meeting on Monday. “We just discussed the need for fighting this election on the common agenda of transparency and development. Seat-sharing would be taken up at the next meetings,” he said. He added that the BJP would insist on contesting 115 of the 227 seats.

 

The seat-sharing formula the BJP plans to offer looks at the 15 seats the BJP won in Mumbai in the 2014 assembly elections. The Shiv Sena won 14 seats. As per the BJP’s calculation, it could win at least four of the six civic wards in each assembly constituency that it won in 2014. The BJP leader cited above said the party accepted the same rationale for Shiv Sena seats as well. “The BJP could win at least 60 civic wards from 15 assembly constituencies it represents and Shiv Sena could win at least 56. Of the remaining 111 civic wards, BJP should get 55 by virtue of being the bigger party,” said the BJP leader.