With less than a month to go for the Maharashtra Assembly election, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray Saturday said that seat-sharing talks with BJP were progressing and a final decision on it would be announced soon. Addressing party workers and ticket aspirants in suburban Bandra, Uddhav said, "If the deal with BJP materialises, the Sena will not backstab. Sena never backstabs. We oppose openly." According to PTI, the announcement is getting delayed amidst intense haggling over the number of seats and due to "shraddha paksha" period, which many believe an 'inauspicious' period to do new things. The "paksha" or the fortnight period ended on September 28. Uddhav recalled the "promise" he had made to his late father Bal Thackeray to install a 'Shiv Sainik' (party worker) as Maharashtra CM. "I had promised Balasaheb (founder of Shiv Sena) that I will make a Shiv sainik chief minister of Maharashtra. I have vowed to fulfil this promise," he said. Uddhav's statement comes against the backdrop of BJP top brass repeatedly backing incumbent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for a second term. The Sena is projecting Uddhav's son Aaditya as the chief ministerial face in the event of the NDA returning to power once again after the next month's assembly polls. Determined to have power in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena chief said he has called aspirants from all 288 seats and he wants to strengthen his party in all constituencies. "If alliance with BJP happens, Shiv Sena will work to ensure BJP's victory in the seats they contest. BJP's support should always be there for Sena candidates where they contest," he said. Urging the cadres to maintain loyalty to the party and allies, Uddhav said, "I want to ensure that our election preparedness is complete in the constituencies where Sena will contest." "If Shiv sainiks trust me and stay with me, I can confidently move ahead on the political path," he said. Meanwhile, taking a dig at NCP leader Ajit Pawar's latest move on quitting as an MLA on Friday evening, Uddhav said, "I will not quit politics and do farming. I will work as a Shiv sainik." In 2014 elections, the BJP and the Sena contested separately over a dispute over sharing of seats. The BJP won maximum 122 out of 260 seats it had contested while the Sena bagged 63 out of 282 seats. Both the parties later joined hands to form a BJP-led government.
