Shiv Sena climbs down on demands, announces alliance with BJP

Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service
Mumbai, February 18

After several weeks of grandstanding when it threatened to break off ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Shiv Sena agreed to tie up with the BJP largely on the latter's terms.

While the BJP will contest 25 of the 48 parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha elections, the Shiv Sena will contest in 23, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said at a joint press conference with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray. Other leaders including BJP president Amit Shah, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar of the BJP and former Chief Minister Manohar Joshi of the Shiv Sena were also among those on the dais.

In a major climbdown, the Shiv Sena agreed to contest in as many seats as the BJP in the assembly elections due next year.

"After allotting seats to our allies, the BJP and the Shiv Sena will divide the remaining seats equally," Fadnavis told reporters.

Earlier Shiv Sena leaders had indicated that the regional party would contest in half the 288 seats in the state legislature while the BJP would have to accommodate smaller parties from its quota. However by evening, the Shiv Sena leaders had piped down.

At a press conference here, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis announced that both parties would be contesting this year's elections together. "We have had differences of opinions in the past, but we share the same ideology. At a time when those who believe in nationalism are being targeted, patriotic parties must come together," Fadnavis said.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray seconded him. "People
have seen us together for the past 30 years. As the Chief Minister
said there have been differences between us. I have also provided
guidance to the government whenever required," Thackeray said.

Later, Amit Shah told reporters that the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance would win 45 of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra.

Earlier on Monday, Amit Shah met Thackeray to seal the seat-sharing arrangements between the two parties in Maharashtra.

The Sena wanted the BJP to consider it the "big brother"—or the senior partner—in the alliance, even demanding that the party give up the chief minister’s position.