Sena-BJP pre poll alliance highly unlikely, with the Sena offering BJP a paltry 60 seats

The Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party Pre Poll Alliance talks seem to have now halted and both parties are on the brink of going solo in the BMC Polls, with the Shiv Sena offering a mere 60 seats in contrast to the BJP’s demand of 114 seats.

 

This offer made by Sena is even less than that given to the BJP in 2012. BJP and Shiv Sena had entered into a pre-poll alliance for the 2012 elections to the BMC. Then, the Shiv Sena contested 135 seats and gave 64 to the BJP. The remaining seats went to the allies of both the parties. The Shiv Sena won 75 seats to the BJP’s 32.

 

Asked why the Shiv Sena had offered only 60 seats to the BJP which was less than even the 2012 formula, Shiv Sena’s Anil Desai said “this was 2017 and there was no point in holding seat sharing talks when both the parties did not agree to each other’s formula”. Shelar also indicated that it was impossible for the BJP to accept 60 seats offered by the Shiv Sena.

 

Leaders from both the parties have given enough indications that the seat sharing talks are not moving towards a mutually acceptable conclusion and pre-poll alliance. On Friday, Shiv Sena leader and one of the Sena interlocutors Anil Parab took exception to the “frequent criticism of Shiv Sena leadership by BJP leaders Shelar and Kirit Somaiya”. BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has frequently called for rooting out the “mafia-raj” from the BMC, a remark that the Shiv Sena has interpreted as a direct affront to the Thackeray family.

 

Shelar reacted to Parab on Saturday at an interaction with Marathi news channel ABP Majha. He said the BJP cadres felt equally offended by the frequent criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah in the editorials of Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna.