FILE: PM Narendra Modi with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray (Associated Press photo)
Late on Wednesday night, the BJP drew up a list of 119 seats that the party would like to contest in next month's state elections in Maharashtra. It is seen as a climb down from the 135 it was insisting on a few days ago.
Since then, however, it has suffered reverses in by-elections giving ally Shiv Sena an advantage in tough negotiations over seat-sharing. After a meeting at Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's Mumbai residence on Wednesday night, attended by senior Maharashtra unit leaders, the BJP said it wanted its 25-year alliance with the Sena to continue.
(Read)"We have sent a list of 119 seats to central leadership... 135 seats was just an estimate. We have communicated this to the Sena. Discussions will go on as far as distribution of seats is concerned," BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said.
Earlier in the evening, sources said, BJP president Amit Shah had met central party leaders OP Mathur and Rajiv Pratap Rudy after the Sena, emboldened by the BJP's losses in Tuesday's by-elections, blandly stated that it will contest more seats than the BJP.
Sena MP Sanjay Raut said his party wanted the alliance to continue, but on its terms. "In Maharashtra, the chief minister will be from the Shiv Sena and we will contest more seats. There will be no change in that," he said.
('Don't Let Success Go To Your Head': Sena Taunts BJP, Digs in Heels Over Chief Minister's Post)
The BJP earlier argued that its superior performance in the national elections four months ago has earned it the right to an equal number of seats to contest. It had suggested a formula that the two partners contest 135 seats each in the 288-member state Assembly and leave 18 for their smaller allies.
The Sena insisted that it must continue to be the senior partner in the state and contest more seats, at least 155. It said the by-election results vindicate its stand that the general elections will have no bearing on state elections.
The stakes are high as the party with the most legislators will have the bigger claim to the Chief Minister's post if the alliance wins.