Have convinced smaller allies on seat-sharing: BJP-SENA

MUMBAI: A definite share, though not as per their demands, is what the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-SHIV Sena alliance seems to have promised its four smaller allies at a meeting in Pune on Wednesday, after which the major alliance partners claimed the seat-sharing “issues have been resolved”.

The smaller parties — Swabhimani Paksha, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Shiv Sangram and Republican Party of India — have been asking for 125 of the 288 Assembly seats, a demand which was termed unreasonable by the SENA-BJP.

According to sources, smaller parties would get not more than 8 seats each, a decision which will be taken based on their elective merit.

While the RPI has scaled down its earlier demand of 45 seats to 15, the BJP-SENA is not willing to offer that many seats too.

Swabhimani Paksha leader Raju Shetti told HT that he had asked for 38 seats. “I have asked the BJP-SENA to decide on how many seats they are ready to part with. Our party workers want us to get started with the preparations as early as possible,” he said.

Shetti said the major partners were willing to be reasonable because they want the grand alliance to remain intact to repeat their Lok Sabha performance.

State BJP president Devendra Fadnavis said the meeting was fruitful in many aspects.

“I think we were able to convince our allies. Everything is expected to fall in place soon,” he said, adding that the BJP and Sena would discuss their share after the smaller allies are satisfied with their respective share. He, however, refused to reveal the numbers the smaller allies are expected to get.

“Once the distribution of seats for smaller allies is decided, the BJP-SENA will start discussing the seat arrangement between them,” said a senior BJP leader, on condition of anonymity.

However, the talks between the BJP and Sena will not be easy, as the BJP has decided to pursue its demand for sharing half of what would be left after giving away the seats to the smaller allies.