Maharashtra Polls: BJP-Shiv Sena Seat Sharing Tougher Than India-Pakistan Partition, Says Sanjay Raut

Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has said that the seat-sharing arrangement between Shiv Sena and BJP for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly polls, is tougher than the partition of India and Pakistan. Raut said, "Maharashtra is so huge. This division of 288 seats is more difficult than the partition of India and Pakistan."

"If we were in the opposition instead of being in government, then the picture would have been different," he added. He also said that whatever decision will be taken on seat-sharing will be immediately conveyed to the media.

Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena: Itna bada Maharashtra hai, ye jo 288 seats ka bantwara hai ye Bharat-Pakistan ke bantware se bhi bhayankar hai. Had we sat in Opposition instead of being in govt the picture today would have been different. Whatever we decide on seats we'll let you know. pic.twitter.com/IM4I9Pu1MA

— ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2019

The BJP and Shiv Sena are yet to conclude their seat-sharing talks for the October 21 assembly elections in Maharashtra.

Maharashtra has 288 seats in the lower house of which BJP had won 122 and the Sena 63 in the 2014 assembly election, which they had fought separately. The Uddhav Thackeray-led party joined the government led by Fadnavis, the first BJP chief minister of Maharashtra, few months after the election.

The saffron allies are locked in an intense negotiation on seat-sharing and a consensus has eluded them till now on how many constituencies each of them will contest.

The Shiv Sena has been insisting on 50:50 division of seats, but the BJP does not appear to be amiable to this deal. If an alliance formalises, the two parties also have to accommodate smaller allies who are part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

(With PTI Inputs)