Maharashtra Assembly Polls: BJP To Contest 150 Seats, Shiv Sena Gets 124, Others 14

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena on Friday formally announced their alliance for the Maharashtra Assembly elections. According to their poll pact announced during a joint press conference of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, the BJP will contest 150 seats, while the Sena will get 124 of the 288 Assembly seats. Rest 14 seats have been given to other smaller allies, Fadnavis said.

Referring to the recent reports of difference between the two parties on seat sharing, Fadnavis said that there were a few issues but they have been sorted out now and the remaining will be addressed soon. "Despite differences, BJP & Shiv Sena share common thread of Hindutva," he added.

When asked about his son's Aditya's nomination and demands in a section that he be made the CM, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said, "The first step in politics doesn’t mean that you have to become the Chief Minister of this state. He has just entered politics, this is just the beginning."

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Fadnavis exuded confidence that the 'Mahayuti' alliance comprising BJP, Sena and other parties will get an unprecedented victory in the upcoming Maharashtra elections. Fadnavis said Aaditya Thackeray, son of Uddhav Thackeray, will win the Worli seat Assembly poll by polling the highest number of votes.

To a query on why some senior leaders, including cabinet ministers were not fielded by the BJP, Fadnavis said, "nobody has been dropped, they have only been reassignedresponsibilities" and added that all rebel BJP candidates will be asked to withdraw from the poll arena in the next two days.

"In the coming days we will ask all the rebel candidates to withdraw and this will be done with the rebel candidates of each party of grand alliance.If they don’t comply then they will not get any position in any of our alliance parties," the Maharashtra CM said.