Maharashtra Polls: Shiv Sena Firm On 50-50 Seat Sharing Formula; Details Likely On Sunday

Ahead of the much awaited Maharashtra Assembly Elections, which is most likely to take place next month, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday made it clear that his party and the BJP will jointly contest the upcoming polls.

Thackeray said the 'formula' was decided during the Lok Sabha elections. (Image: PTI)

Mumbai: Ahead of the much awaited Maharashtra Assembly Elections, which is most likely to take place next month, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday made it clear that his party and the BJP will jointly contest the upcoming polls and seat sharing formula for the same will be announced in the next two days. Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, after a meeting with senior party leaders ahead of the elections slated next month, Thackeray said the 'formula' was decided during the Lok Sabha elections, where the two parties had a pre-poll alliance. "It was media which spread reports that both the parties will contest 135 seats each," he said. Ahead of the meeting, Sena secretary Anil Desai had said the alliance would be announced on or before BJP chief Amit Shah's Mumbai visit on September 22. According to reports, Sena chief   reminded alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about their seat sharing pact finalised in February and also asked Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to indicate the seats from where the Sena should field its candidates. “I expect it (the list from Fadnavis) to come in a day or two. I will then put it before senior party leaders and announce the alliance,” Thackeray said. Reports suggest that there was an internal rift with the two parties over the number of seats on which both will contest the state elections and reportedly BJP has asked for a larger seat share for the party. During the press conference, Sena chief also pointed out that there was a discussion about both the parties contesting 135 seats each in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. If the two main alliance partners finalise the formula, it will leave the remaining 18 seats for the smaller allies in the 288-member Assembly. "Instead of demanding, I have asked the chief minister to decide the seats for Shiv Sena. I expect it to come in a day or two. I will then put it before senior party leaders and then announce the alliance," Thackeray added. The final announcement of the seats is expected on Sunday when BJP national president Amit Shah will be in Mumbai for a party event. In another development, prominent farmers' leader and the head of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti Kishore Tiwari joined the Shiv Sena, barely five days after he snapped ties with the BJP over various issues, including differences on the new Motor Vehicles Act penalties. Tiwari is likely to be rewarded with a ticket from a constituency in his home district Yavatmal, but the Sena remained tight-lipped about it.