"...Not Even One Seat": Ally Upset With BJP-Shiv Sena Alliance

The BJP-Shiv Sena truce in Maharashtra has left their National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partner, Ramdas Athawale, upset as the seat sharing scheme didn't have even one seat for him. He said that the two parties didn't even leave one seat, despite his efforts in brokering peace between the warring allies. The leader is a Rajya Sabha member and the leader of the Republican Party of India (RPI).

"I took efforts for the BJP-Sena patch-up and worked for the alliance. But they left us in the lurch by not giving any seat to the RPI," he told PTI.

"I had demanded Mumbai South-Central (Lok Sabha) seat, but they refused to give any seat," the Dalit leader added.

Mr Athawale, a member of the Dalit community, had been a Lok Sabha member from the Mumbai North Central constituency.

Currently, the Mumbai South-Central constituency is held by the Shiv Sena.

The Shiv Sena and the BJP on Monday announced their alliance, saying the two parties would contest on equal number of seats in assembly polls. In the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, the Sena agreed to contest in 23 seats, whereas the BJP would contest in 25 seats out of total 48 seats in the state.

The Shiv Sena and the BJP had contested the 2014 assembly polls separately. They, however, rejoined the alliance after the polls and formed a government in Maharashtra. The Sena, over the years, continued its attack on the BJP government at the centre.

With inputs from PTI