The ruling combine in Maharashtra the BJP – Shiv Sena have finally announced their seat sharing deal for the forthcoming assembly polls on October 21. According the agreement reached between the two parties out of 288 seats, the Shiv Sena will contest 124 and the BJP 150. Whereas, the other seats will go to smaller NDA parties.
Stating that ‘Hindutva’ is the common thread binding the Bharatiya Janata Party and Shiv Sena, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the saffron alliance will post ‘unprecedented victory’ in the assembly elections.
Addressing a joint press conference with Fadnavis on the last day of filing nominations , Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said who was the ‘elder brother’ in the alliance was not an issue.
The Sena is also expected to get two berths in the Legislative Council from the BJP quota.
“The alliance will post an unprecedented victory,” Fadnavis said.
Asked about rebel candidates, Fadnavis said, “They will be asked to withdraw within two days, or else they will be shown their place.”
Others doubted whether the two saffron parties would come together for elections this time, ‘but there was no doubt in our minds’, Fadnavis said.
The Sena and BJP had contested the state polls separately in 2014.
