‘Sena, BJP to contest BMC polls together, Mahayuti target 150 plus seats’: Ashish Shelar

However, the BJP has expressed willingness for alliance with Republican Party of India led by Union minister Ramdas Athawale.

After the meeting, Shelar said, “We have set a target to win 150 plus seats out of 227 in BMC. The BJP and Shiv Sena will contest the elections together. And we will ensure next mayor is from Mahayuti.”

In the meeting, it was decided that BJP and Shiv Sena will retain the seats where their candidates had won in the previous polls.

However, the seats, which were won by candidates who are now with Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena UBT, will be open for both BJP and Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.

A BJP leader requesting anonymity said, “Today’s meeting was very preliminary where leaders from both sides met and exchanged views. We will arrive at a final formula once CM Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde meet at later stage.”

Another point which is under consideration is whether BJP will contest more seats than Shinde Sena.
On Shiv Sena’s part they have pitched for 100 plus seats. A senior Shiv Sena leader said, “In the 2017 BMC polls, undivided Shiv Sena had won 84 seats. Post polls, six more corporators from MNS switched sides to join Shiv Sena. Its tally went upto 90 seats. We want BJP to concede all these seats to us, as we are real Shiv Sena.”

However, BJP strategists believe seat sharing should be on merit and winnability should be the sole criteria in determining the seat sharing.

Those present at the meeting from BJP were Minister Ashish Shelar, Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam, MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar, MLC Praveen Darekar.

The Shiv Sena participants included MLAs Ravindra Waikar, Prakash Surve, Rahul Shewale.

On Monday, Fadnavis had said that BJP and Shiv Sena would contest majority of the 29 municipal corporations including BMC together as Mahayuti.