Shiv Sena may budge and give 130 seats to BJP

The Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party came back from the brink on Tuesday morning and resumed seat sharing talks for the election to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. Barring unforseen last minute glitches, the two parties will contest the upcoming election as allies.

Abandoning earlier rigidity, they met each other halfway and announced that they had resolved to continue the alliance.

Shiv Sena on Sunday had said its 151:119 formula was non-negotiable while BJP insisted it would accept nothing les than 130 seats.

But today, Shiv Sena and BJP put up a united front and its leaders Sanjay Raut and Vinod Tawde addressed a joint press conference reiterating that their alliance was intact. Raut and Tawde said various proposals on seat-sharing were being worked out.

Party insiders said Shiv Sena has offered to give 126 or 130 seats to BJP.

'If BJP accepts 130 seats then Shiv Sena will contest 151 seats leaving mere seven seats to Maha Yuti allies comprising Republican Party of India, Swabhimnai Shetkari Sanghatana, Rashtriya Samaj Party and Shiv Sangram. As per another formula, Shiv Sena will contest 150 seats, 126 by BJP and 12 by other Maha Yuti allies,'' a top leader of the BJP said.

All Maha Yuti allies met evening to discuss these formulae.

Further, one more formula was also discussed whereby BJP will get 124 seats, 150 seats to Shiv Sena and 14 to other allies in Maha Yuti.

Raut said, "We want to continue with alliance. A decision will be taken soon."