BJP-Shiv Sena have an edge if alliance remains intact: Neerja Chowdhury

In wake of the ongoing tussle between the major political parties over seat sharing for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, political analyst Neerja Chowdhury on Sunday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-Shiv Sena alliance has an edge because there is 15 years of anti-incumbency against the ruling NCP-Congress government.

"If the alliance stays intact then the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance has an edge because there is 15 years of anti-incumbency against the ruling NCP-Congress government," Chowdhury told ANI here.

"Both the Shiv Sena and BJP have been partners for 20 years and the Shiv Sena is BJP's oldest ally. Uddhav Thackeray was seen to be a very soft kind of a leader and now he is emerging as a tough guy in terms of bargaining," she added.

Chowdhury further said one of the main reasons for the ongoing tussle between the political parties in Maharashtra is the lust for the Chief Minister's post.

"At the heart of the conflict, the difference is not due the number of seats, but is that who is going to be the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Sena is not prepared to give that to the BJP because Sena fears that if the CM is not theirs then the BJP will spirit away the base of Sena as they did during the Lok Sabha elections," she said.

Earlier today, the Shiv Sena offered 119 seats to the BJP with Thackeray admitting that there was a tug of war over the distribution of seats.

September 27 is the deadline for filing of nominations for the Maharashtra Assembly polls, which is scheduled to be held on October 15. There are 288 seats in the state.