Lok Sabha Polls: Amit Shah-Uddhav Thackeray to announce crucial alliance today

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray are all set to announce their alliance for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha polls at a joint press conference today. “BJP President Amit Shah and Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray will address a joint press conference later today. An announcement on the alliance will be made in the press conference today,” says Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut.

Earlier, there were reports that the BJP will contest on 25 out of total 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, while the Shiv Sena will fight on rest of the seats. The Uddhav Thackeray’s party had contested on 22 seats, while the BJP fielded its candidates on 26 seats in the 2014 General Elections. The BJP has decided not to field any candidate from the Palghar Lok Sabha constituency from where Shiv Sena will now contest.

For the Assembly elections, the BJP will contest on 145 of the total 288 seats, with the Shiv Sena getting the remaining 143 seats, reported Zee News. Shiv Sena had earlier announced publicly to go solo in the elections. However, BJP chief Amit Shah had said the Uddhav Thackeray-led party would continue its alliance with BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls

"Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is frequently in touch with the Shiv Sena leadership at the state level. The Shiv Sena is already a part of the Central and state governments and it would continue its alliance with the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections", he had said in December last year.

The Sena, which is the oldest constituent of the NDA, had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the BJP, but severed the ties ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections held in October that year.