Sena-BJP seat sharing talks positive: Maharashtra BJP chief

Mumbai, Sep 10: Talks among constituents of the Shiv Sena-BJP led 'Mahayuti' alliance to contest the Maharashtra assembly elections are "positive and in its final stages," Maharashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis said on Wednesday.

"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.

"A formal shape would soon be given to the discussions," a party statement quoted 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, Fadnavis said.

"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 here 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," Khadse, leader of opposition in the assembly, had told reporters.

Asked if BJP was firm on its demand to contest 144 of the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra, Khadse had said, "What we have been saying is that BJP and Shiv Sena should contest half the seats remaining, 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 BJP president.

PTI