BJP president Amit Shah met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on September 4
Talks between the Shiv Sena and the BJP led 'Mahayuti' alliance to contest the Maharashtra assembly elections are "positive and in its final stages," Maharashtra BJP's president Devendra Fadnavis said today.
"Discussions are almost at the last stage and a broad consensus (on seat allocation) has been reached," Fadnavis said after meeting Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana leader Raju Shetty at the state BJP office in Mumbai.
"A formal shape would soon be given to the discussions," a party statement quoted Mr Fadnavis as saying. After coming to power in the state, the 'Mahayuti' government would review decisions taken by the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government after the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, Mr Fadnavis added.
"Decisions taken for personal gains and those smacking of corruption would be scrapped," the BJP leader said.
Senior state BJP leader Eknath Khadse had said yesterday that Shiv Sena and BJP would hold further discussions on seat sharing for the forthcoming Maharashtra assembly polls after seat allocation among other 'Mahayuti' alliance partners is resolved.
"We (Shiv Sena and BJP) will discuss the seat sharing after finalising the seat allocation for our other partners like the RPI-Athawale, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Rashtriya Samaj Paksh and Lok Sangram," Mr Khadse, leader of opposition in the assembly, had told reporters.
Asked if the BJP was firm on its demand to contest 144 of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, Mr Khadse had said, "What we have been saying is that BJP and Shiv Sena should contest half of the remaining seats, after allocation to our other partners".
Seeking to put aside speculation about a rift over Maharashtra assembly poll seat-sharing in the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, BJP president Amit Shah had met Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on his first visit to Mumbai on September 4 after taking over as the party president.